Life is Grimm
by TrueMegaManiac
Summary: Life is Grimm combines the supernatural, Oregon based worlds of Life is Strange and Grimm. The wesen world reveals itself in Arcadia Bay as Max Caulfield discovers her ability to control time, and her identity as a hexinbiest. Portland PD. Detective and Grimm Nick Burkhardt is sent to Arcadia on police duty, only to find that there's more than meets even a Grimm's eye in Arcadia.
1. Chapter 1: Crysalis

**Life is Grimm**

 **Chapter I: Chrysalis**

"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but *actually* from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint - it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly... time-y wimey... stuff. ."

-The Doctor

* * *

 _Woah! What the fuck…?_ Max Caulfield woke up again in her classroom, not from her vision like before, but this time from witnessing a murder happen in the bathroom. She looked around the room frantically, trying not to have a panic attack. Everything was the same as before. _How? How can that Be?_ Max held back the urge to cry seeing as how she just saw someone get shot, but, somehow is now where she was before that girl with the blue hair was killed by Nathan.

Max tries now to piece together what happened. _I was in the bathroom… He shot that poor girl… I held up my hand… and then I was back here._ She just couldn't make sense of this. It had to be some kind of dream. She obviously didn't go back in time. Right?

"About photography, as he likely was. These pieces of time can frame us in our glory and our sorrow; from light to shadow;" _I already heard this lecture…_ Mr. Jefferson was giving the class a photography lesson, as per usual, the same one from earlier. So similar that, it was exactly the same. Taylor hurled a piece of paper across the room at Kate. _Now Kate is being hassled again..._ Max's breathing would not steady, nor would her heart slow down. She was wondering if she really went back in time. _And if Victoria's phone rings… This is real._ Sure enough, things played out like before and Victoria's phone buzzed on her desk.

"Shit!" Max was startled and accidentally sent her old Polaroid camera flying off of her desk. _Man, I cannot believe this…_ No one seemed to even notice. Jefferson continued his lecture almost robotically, and the students focused on him. Then the idea hit her. _Okay, if I'm crazy, I might as well go all the way… Can I actually reverse time?_

Max breathed in deeply and held up her right hand. She felt a headache coming but soon she was proven right, time slowed to a halt and soon began moving backwards. She noticed as the camera began reassembling itself, and that someone did see it fall. Victoria of all people. It was hard for her to focus on visual details so Max couldn't tell if she was upset, or thrilled to see it happen. Knowing Victoria, probably thrilled. Her camera soon returned to normal and she broke out of her rewind. When Max was done, she noticed something flicker on her hand, a shadow or something just as she was done. The marks were immediately dismissed as she could barely contain her excitement.

 _I did it, I actually did it! I'm a human time machine…_ Max's precious camera was reassembled and things continued as before with the lecture. She could barely believe it, but she needed more proof that this would play out exactly the same way it did last time. _When I took my selfie, Jefferson asked me a question. If he does again, I'll know this is for real._ Max picked her camera up and took a selfie, just like before. The flash illuminates her and the wall behind her and the shutter clicks loud enough for the whole class to hear. She pulls out her Polaroid and the teacher turned to her, as amused as before.

"Shh, I believe Max has taken what you kids call a 'selfie'... A dumb word for a wonderful photographic tradition. And Max… has a gift." Jefferson leaned on the middle desk and continued as before.

 _I know I'm not dreaming this. It's real. I can tell. So I can go back in time… What if that girl isn't dead yet? Can I save her? I need to go the the bathroom quickly and check it out!_ Her train thought was interrupted when Jefferson captured her attention with the same question from before.

"Now Max, since you've captured our interest and clearly want to join the conversation, can you please tell us the name of the process that gave birth to the first self-portraits?" Not wanting to linger, she tried to avoid it all together with an excuse so she could go save that girl

"I'm sorry but I really have to use the bathroom."

"Nice try, Max. But you're not going to get away that easy. We can talk more after class." _Oh shit, Jefferson wants to keep me after class. And I need time to save that girl…_

"...A process that gave portraits a sharp reflective style, like a mirror." Victoria answered while Max was thinking and turned to her to rub it in. "Now you're totally stuck in the Retro Zone. Sad face." Just like before, Victoria just had to give a snarky remark. Maybe this time though, Max can be the one to rub it in. _What if I rewind again, and give him the right answer?_

Max rewound again, this time, she noticed her hand much better than the last time. It was grey, dark, and _old?_ Max ignored it and broke the spell to the moment Jefferson asked the question.

"Now Max, since you've captured our interest and clearly want to join the conversation, can you please tell us the name of the process that gave birth to the first self-portraits?" It was like clockwork how that didn't even change slightly. This time though, Max was ready to answer.

"The Daguerreian Process. Invented by a French painter named… Louis Daguerre. Around 1830."

"Somebody has been reading as well as posing. Nice work, Max." Jefferson smiled, proud of Max that she could answer her question. Victoria turned to glare daggers her way and sighed, but Max didn't care though, or even notice. She was lost in her thoughts again. The bell rang and Jefferson gave his reminder to the students about the everyday hero contest.

"And guys don't forget the deadline to submit a photo in the 'Everyday Heroes' contest. I'll fly out with the winner to San Francisco where you'll be feted by the art world. It's great exposure and it can kickstart a career in photography. So Stella and Alyssa, get it together. Taylor, don't hide, I'm still waiting for your entry too… And yes Max, I see you pretending not to see me." He ended the same way as before, by reminding Max about the assignment she'd much rather avoid. _Max, you are not crazy. You are not dreaming. It's time to be an everyday hero._ Max rushed over to the door only to be interrupted by the teacher.

"I see you, Max Caulfield. Don't even think about leaving here until we talk about your entry." Max shuffled over to Jefferson, trying to think of an excuse while he asked where her entry for the contest was.

"Uh, yeah, I'm not sure I have one." Her excuse was about as hollow as a cave. She had one, but felt it was the worst thing she's ever taken.

"Given your selfie output, I'm sure you must have about a thousand pics by now."

"It'll take a long time to find a good one…"

"Max, don't wait too long. John Lennon once said 'Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans.' Go on now, don't let me stop you." Max looked down towards the floor before turning around and heading to the door. She had business to take care of. _Life happens while you are making other plans. It also happens when I'm standing around talking to you while a girl is about to get shot!_ She ran as fast as she could to the end of the hall and back into the restroom. She burst into the restroom and began her plan to save that girl.

 _Okay, Max, retrace every step…_ Max washed her face, shredded her photo, and took the picture of the blue butterfly again, exactly like before. She then waited pacing, waiting for the moment it would happen. Soon enough, things played out as before. Nathan and the girl were arguing again.

" Leave them out of this, bitch." There's Nathan.

"I can tell everybody Nathan Prescott is a punk ass who begs like a little girl and talks to himself-" and there's the girl. Max's heart was racing again. She had to help that girl, she couldn't let that happen. Not again.

"You don't know who the fuck I am or who you're messing around with!" Nathan pulls the gun out again and holds the girl to the wall like before. Max began frantically looking for a way to help. Then she saw the fire drill.

"Where'd you get that? What are you doing? Come on, put that thing down!" The girl screamed, trying desperately to avoid being shot. Max however needed a something to break the glass of the fire bell. She grabbed a hammer she saw under the nearby janitor supplies.

"Don't EVER tell me what to do. I'm so SICK of people trying to control me!"

"You are going to get in hella more trouble for this than drugs-"

"Nobo-" Max broke the glass and pushed on the alarm causing it to ring through the halls. The two arguing by the door ceased and the girl seized this opportunity.

"No way..." Just as Nathan said that, Max heard a loud snarl from behind the stalls. The girl spoke, but she sound far different than before. Less human, but still understandable

"Don't EVER touch me again, freak!" Max heard Nathan get shoved and the girl run off.

"Another shitty day…" Nathan huffed as he ran out of the bathroom as well. Max finally peeked out from behind the stall. _That did not happen! This cannot be real!_ Max suddenly felt sick, with a nagging headache. She stumbled over to a sink and held herself up feeling like she was about to faint. She saw something happen. Something far stranger than even her ability to rewind time. She changed right before her very eyes.

Max felt her skin crawl. No. Slither. It was even somewhat painful. _Oh no… what the fuck is happening now?_ It began losing its color too, even developing dark spots and becoming wrinkly, she turned her head up to see herself in the mirror only to see the same thing happen to her face. Her right eye fused shut while the other's color faded to a foggy blue. Her normally brown hair turned silver and parts of her face decayed off, baring rancid teeth and a gaping maw one expects only the devil would have.

Max couldn't look away. The transformation completely overcame her. If it wasn't for the fire bell, the whole campus would have heard the terrifying screech she let forth. She could only look in horror at what she became. Eventually, she calmed down, taking a deep breath and the transformation faded away. Max was her normal self soon enough and quickly exited the bathroom. _I can't tell a soul about any of this. Not my rewind power. Not the girl. And definitely not that fucking scary ass metamorphosis._

* * *

 _Today has been one long fucking day._ The bizarre snow drifted down on Arcadia bay as Max went to her dorm. The girl she saved turned out to be her long lost best friend, Chloe Price. Max didn't even recognize her, especially considering the blue hair and punk clothes. She told Chloe about her rewind power and her visions, but left out the zombie morphing thing. Chloe seems to have her doubts, but overall believes Max's word. Chloe dropped her off back at her school after the two had an adventure for most of the day. So much has changed in one day and it drained Max completely. She felt compelled to soldier on and find answers about her rewind ability, but she wanted to test one more thing before diving into the vast internet topics and library books about time manipulation.

No one was out in the courtyard except Max, and one lonely little squirrel. Max crept up to the little creature, standing before it to test out if this transformation ability she discovered was something more permanent like her ability to rewind time and not just a freak occurrence. She focused, took a deep breath and felt the change again, it was less painful than it was the first time, but she could still feel it. This time she finished her transformation by opening her mouth wide to hiss at the innocent woodland creature, causing it to panic and frantically scurry back into the woods. Max dismissed the transformation immediately.

"Sorry little squirrel! I didn't mean it!" Max rewound time just to avoid traumatizing the poor creature. At least she knew her transformation wasn't a one off, and a relief to know she can control it like she can with her powers.


	2. Chapter 2: Second Hand

**Life is Grimm**

 **Chapter II: Second Hand**

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,

and I will give you rest…"

-Matthew 11:28 (The Holy Bible)

* * *

Max had her nose time travel books for a whole night until she eventually passed out from exhaustion. She read through many, but had many more to slog through. Even with what she's gone over, she still feels she has no insight into her ability to control time, let alone her transformation ability.

It has been less than a day since Max received these strange powers with little to no explanation as to why. It was surprising to find that her long lost best friend Chloe Price is even willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. She has however been eagerly awaiting Max to demonstrate her apparent mastery over time itself, which would later no doubt prove a challenge. Of course, Max is not one to show off magical, universe changing abilities without being clean first. After waking up, she grabbed her shower supplies and headed to her dorm's showers.

As Max opened the door, she heard Victoria talking with Courtney through the door opposite of hers.

"I am so on it, consider it done!" Courtney, Victoria's minion obediently strolled off with several books, papers, and notepads held in her arms. Victoria caught a glimpse of Max before slamming the door shut. She simply rolled her eyes and proceed down the hall to head to the showers. It had seemed to her that their encounter yesterday would mean little in their relationship. Max rigged paint to fall on her and she still wonders if it was the right move to have comforted her afterwards. No matter. Max had an objective. Just as she was about to pass the bathroom, the door opened and a roll of toilet paper came hurtling through the air.

"Ow!" Alyssa was hit by the flying toilet paper, the roll bouncing off of her head. She was hit by a football the day before, or rather, wasn't as Max rewound time in order to warn her. Max then proceeded to do the same here. Max held out her hand and the roll retraced its path back into the hands of the one who threw it and the door shut, the TP assailant returning to the shadows. Time resumed as normal giving Max a headache from the rewind.

"Alyssa, can you stand over there?"

"Uh, okay, Max. If that makes you happy." Alyssa followed Max's request. Again, the attack commenced, this time, the roll didn't hit its mark.

"Wow, now that was close. Thank you, Max." Max nodded in response, smiling, acknowledging that she is some good with her mysterious power. Max entered the shower room to see Kate brushing her teeth. _She's been so sad lately. I should talk to her._ Carefully, Max approached her, wondering was going on in her life to make her so sad as of late.

"Hey Kate. How are you doing"

"I'm here. Thanks again for standing up for me yesterday. I needed that." There was a hint of a smile on her face. She was happy to see Max stick up for her yesterday when the head of Blackwell Security, David Madsen was harassing her.

"Anytime. That guy has issues." Kate shook her head and placed her hands on the sink behind her.

"Doesn't everybody here… By the way Max, do you still have my copy of The October Country?" Max recalled reading the book. It was a good book, but she still hadn't finished it quite yet since Kate let her borrow it.

"Oh. Yes, of course. It's great so far. I didn't realize Bradbury was such a poet."

"Can you please bring it back to my room this morning? I just need to take some notes for class."

"Absolutely. I'll bring it by later." Their conversation ended there. Kate returned to brushing her teeth and Max went to take her shower.

 _I hope Kate will be okay, but at least she's happy I helped her out yesterday. I hate bullies._ Max entered the shower stall where she disrobed, placing her shorts and t-shirt she was using as pajamas safely away from where there would be water. Turning the handle, the shower worked its magic and poured a warm stream of water on her.

 _Warm water feels so nice, refreshing, and calming. I would shower forever if it didn't cause my skin to look all wrinkly and gross. Wait, I_ _ **can**_ _now since I can rewind time, but… maybe another time. Time._ More thoughts about life, time, and school rolled through her head while she bathed. Unfortunately, the serene sound of the warm shower was broken by the sharp voice of the one and only Victoria Chase.

"What's up Kate!" Victoria said when she entered the room with Taylor, her other minion.

"School." Kate tried to keep her composure in the face of the two mean girls now on both sides of her.

"That it?" said Taylor, the one to her left.

"That video of you clubbing didn't look like homework." Victoria continued on from Taylor's remark. Max began to eavesdrop, looking through a space in between the curtains separating her from the others in the room.

"Victoria, that wasn't me" Kate's voice lowered in tone as her patience with these bullies wore thin.

"Oh my God. Right." Taylor dismissed Kate's claim entirely. Max crept to the other opening to get a better look.

"Don't be shy, I think it's awesome you set a tongue record on video." Victoria said and Taylor began laughing. Kate however had enough, taking her toothbrush and leaving the showers.

"You're going to be sorry someday." Kate's voice broke as she was on the verge of crying as the bullying over the video of her at a Vortex Club party was torture. She had to leave, though not before Victoria felt the need to give one final jab at the poor girl when was nearly out the door.

"Oh boo hoo, I'm sorry you're a viral slut. I'm sure she had fun."

"Looks like it."

"I know Nathan hooked her up. And you know he has the good shit." _Just shut up Victoria._ Taylor then stood where Kate was and continued talking to Victoria.

"Preach it sista." Victoria the looked into the mirror to notice a that some paint still lingered on her face from the day before when Max rigged the paint can, drenching her in paint and ruining her precious cashmere.

"Yuck. I still have goddamn paint all over my face." Victoria exaggerated the amount that was actually there, but nonetheless, it was still present. "Good thing my faithful minions took their sweet time bringing me a towel…"

"We ran all the way -"

"Give it a rest Taylor, now I know if I'm in an accident I won't rely on you or Courtney for help. You can hang out with Kate, or Max." Taylor went into a brief silence and turned to the mirror, looking not at herself, but for for something to say.

"She's a weirdo with that dumb camera." Taylor took a stab at Max this time. She is after all the only one in her photography class with a polaroid camera when every other student had some form of digital one. Victoria of course had a collection that easily cost more than a luxury car.

"I hate that 'I'm so quirky' crap. Anyway. Let's leave the link to Kate's video so everybody gets a chance to see her in action…"

"You're such an evil biatch. I love it." Taylor grinned and Victoria opened some red lipstick to use as a marker to write the link on the shower room mirror. ' katesvid,com' Taylor laughed when Victoria was done and the two began to leave. Rage boiled inside Max.

 _What has Kate ever done to you, Victoria? I could just break you ri-_ the sound of cracking glass broke Max's train of thought and caught Victoria's attention, stopping her at the door.

"Is something the matter Victoria?" Victoria glanced to see the mirror she wrote on had cracks strewn across it, centered on the link she wrote.

"Uh, yeah, I…" Victoria was stumbling on her words, trying to find an excuse to send Taylor away so she could investigate.

"Just head to the front. I still need to get this fucking paint off my face."

"Meet you at the Rachel's Debt tree out front." Taylor said as she headed out of the showers without her master. When it shut, Victoria went over to the mirror to get a better look.

 _Did I do that? Did I really just break the mirror? With my mind?_ Max stared at the cracks, the link was still visible, but obscured. It sparked her curiosity. She knew she could rewind time, but this was something new to toy with.

"What the fuck?" Victoria muttered while frantically looking around to see if there was a perpetrator, someone to point a finger at. However there was no evidence, no lead to follow. Max grinned and ideas began forming in her head. _Could I get her to apologize to Kate, or at least scare the ever loving shit out of her?_

Max decided to focus on the mirror, in doing so, she morphed into her other form, like it was somehow connected to her ability to break it. The shards began rattling violently, loosening from the frame and smaller shards soon started falling into the sink below. Victoria took a step back and pressed her back against the edge of the stall behind her. Soon the seemingly haunted mirror burst into thousands of tiny pieces, leaving no trace of the link to Kate's video. Victoria ducked and screamed. When Max opened her eye though, she was greeted with a rather interesting sight. Victoria was not herself anymore.

Patches of orange, white, and brown fur covered any area of skin Victoria had exposed. Her nose was black and rough around the nostril area. Large, furry, pointed ears replaced her human ones and her she had sharp, canine like teeth. Her eyes were also gold with a slight glow to them. She resembled a fox, but with a human body shape. Strangely, her short blond hair was preserved instead of changing color with the rest of her.

 _Holy shit!_ Max retracted her zombie-esq form and tried to hide herself in case the creature that was once Victoria looked in. Victoria was curled up defensively against the edge of the stall, wide eyed and staring at the glass shards on the floor of the showers. Max kept gazing at Victoria from behind the curtain and soon she calmed down, becoming human again. Surprisingly, human Victoria was even whiter than she normally was. As soon as Victoria could even think about leaving, she did and she ran out of the room faster than Max had ever seen her move before.

Max finished her shower and put her pajamas back on. She then left the room, tip-toeing around the glass. She could always just walk through it and rewind any of the damage to her feet away, but she would rather avoid the pain altogether. _Rewinding time, becoming a zombie at will, and now being able to break mirrors with my mind. What the hell else can I do?_ She wanted to experiment with what other powers she had, but she needed to get Kate's book first before toying with such things. As she exited the showers, she noticed Dana wandering the halls, who noticed Max as soon as the shower room door closed.

"Hey, Max I just saw Victoria white as a ghost book it to her room! What happened in there? Did you beat her up or something?" _Well, you aren't far off. But like hell I can tell Dana about what actually happened._

"Isn't Victoria pretty white already? But, to answer your question... No. We didn't fight. I didn't see anything at all really. Too busy showering." Max was fabricating a story here as she doubted Dana would believe the actual truth.

"Bore-ring!" Dana replied

"Though, I think she broke one of the mirrors. There's tiny pieces everywhere.."

"I knew Victoria was a bitch but why would she be breaking mirrors?"

"Don't ask me. I don't follow the Vortex Vixens. I try to avoid them." Dana sighed, hoping Max had a cool story to tell about how she kicked Victoria's ass. Instead, she moved to a new topic.

"Oh, I have some great news, Max. Trevor asked me to the Halloween shindig!"

"That's awesome, Dana."

"At least we're showing our faces together in public… So you absolutely should go with us. Borrow one of my outfits, and come as a cute geek couple with your bitch, Warren."

"Err, I'm not big on cosplay."

"Don't let life pass you by, Max. So, are you coming to the party, or not?" _I do love Halloween, and I just got the best idea for a costume_.

"Why the fuck not? Besides, I got this wicked zombie costume I could bring." Max answered. Even if her ability to morph into a creature had no purpose other than looking creepy, it'd make a sick Halloween getup.

"That's the spirit, Max! After this, you'll be ready for a rave." Dana smiled in response to Max's answer

"It does sound like fun. Now I have to go contemplate my party future."

"See you there then, and you better not be over hyping your costume." Dana walked back to her room.

"Oh, I promise, it's Walking Dead level of quality." Max waved goodbye to Dana before setting off to her own room to get dressed and find Kate's book.

Max opened the door to her room, her elated mood fading as soon as she saw her photo memorial wall as someone had vandalized it. The words in bold red spraypaint read 'NOBODY MESSES WITH ME BITCH' still wet and dripping onto her bed. On her bed was a picture of a deer head on a platter, with a picture of Max's head taped on next to it with the eyes scratched out. It would have been decent art had it not been so disturbed.

Max's blood boiled in rage. She shut the door just to keep the others from hearing her enraged cries. She changed again and let out a sound akin to what from the darkest depths of hell itself would sound like. The room itself shook, but she snapped out of it when she heard her drink spill. She subdued her fury to see what it spilled onto.

 _Oh no, I spilled soda all over Kate's book. I should probably be more careful._ Max rewound to before she caused the 'dormquake' and retrieved Kate's book, soda stain free. She prepared for the day by putting on some blue jeans, a white shirt with a deer graphic on the front, and her gray hoodie. Taking one last look at the mess left behind by who she assumed was Nathan Prescott. _Wow, I could do some serious damage if I'm not careful. But seriously! Fuck! This is not why I came to Blackwell. And I still have to clean all this crap up? Chloe is right though. I shouldn't have told the principal about Nathan._

Max simply left the undesirable mess for another time. Kate was waiting for her book and she knew that keeping her waiting was a bad idea. Max checked her phone to see several messages from Chloe and-

"Private number, now who the fu- oh." she mumbled, looking at the message sent from the private number. It read 'Keep your smart mouth shut about everything. Or I'm coming for your ass. I know where you sleep.'

"Nathan." She thought aloud, staring blankly at the threatening message. The messages from Chloe were just affirmations about the breakfast they planned for at Two Whales Diner, where Chloe's mother works. 'meet me at the diner in 40' Max made a mental note to get there in a timely manner. She sent Chloe a reply 'On my way. :)' and put her phone back in her camera bag. It beeped again, but she just headed to Kate's instead of dealing with Chloe.

"Kate? You in there?" Max asked as she knocked on her door.

"Yes, I'm here. Come in, Max…" Even through the door, Max could hear just how exhausted and sad her friend was. Opening the door, she entered the dark, dreary dorm room. Many things caught Max's attention as soon as she entered, namely the mirror hanging next to the door which had a shirt draped over it.

 _Why did she cover up the mirror? She can't look at herself?_ Max turned to Kate, who was sitting at her little desk with her face buried in her hands. A muffled sob had escaped Kate and to Max's surprise, Kate changed before her very eyes.

She could only see Kate from behind, but the features were still a drastic contrast to her human form. Long, furry sheep like ears were in place of her normal ones and white puffy fur coated her body. Her hands changed into hard, two fingered hoof like digits, much like sheep's feet. Max inhaled uncomfortably.

 _Is everyone like this? Where they can change from humans into… creatures? Is this a normal thing?_ Kate returned to her human form shortly after. Max has yet to tell anyone about her transformation ability. She told Chloe about her rewind power, but she still hasn't seen the beast Max could unleash. Maybe she could trust Kate with that knowledge, and even receive insight on it seeing as how Max still has no clue why this is happening. She walked over to her and initiated a conversation.

"Uh, hey, Kate, I brought your book… and… I - I really need to talk to you about something." Max felt very uneasy. Kate is really depressed, but she felt Kate would be the only one she could trust with such knowledge. Victoria could transform too, but she couldn't trust her with anything. After all, Max did just nearly give her a heart attack with that mirror stunt. Though Victoria is still unaware that it was Max who did it.

"Thanks Max. What do you need to talk about?" Max nearly fell to pieces when she heard how Kate sounded. She sounded broken. Max wondered if she was really the one who needed to talk. _If this goes south, I could just rewind._

"Uh. Kate, I saw you… change." Max felt uncomfortable approaching her about the subject, but she wanted to know what was going on, why she along with Kate and Victoria can change into creatures. Max wondered if there were more, after all, they couldn't be the only three out of seven billion people.

"Max, what are you talking about?"

"Kate, I just saw you turn into some sheep thing. I'm asking about it because I can change too, just not into the same thing you can." Kate looked her in the eyes for a few seconds, making her even more uncomfortable. Max held her hand out slightly, in case she needed to rewind and start the conversation over again.

"Wait, Max, I had no idea you were wesen." Kate's tone had completely changed. For once, it had energy to it.

"Um, what is... ves-sin. Can you explain that to me?" Max lowered her hand in relief. She had questions, and Kate appeared to have answers.

"You're wesen and you don't even know about this stuff?"

"Not really. It kinda just happened yesterday." Kate looked puzzled. She knows that most wesen know what they are. Max must have been a special case, perhaps she's just a late bloomer.

"Oh wow, Max. I don't think I've met any wesen that experience their first woge this late…"

"Voh-ge? I hope I don't have to take a vocabulary test about this." Kate giggled in response. It was the first time in a long time Max even saw Kate feeling something positive. It was brief, but helped reassure the both of them somehow. _I'm glad I brought this up. It seems to be bringing out a side of Kate I thought was gone._

"No, Max. I think you are probably sick of vocab tests after last week's english lessons."

"Oh god. Writing words and definitions over and over again ad nauseam. Do not want."

"At least I can tell you retained some of it."

"Yeah. I guess it gets stuck in your head. Kinda like crappy, albeit catchy pop songs that are played too much on radio."

"Question." Kate said.

"Answer?" Max asked.

"Can you woge for me Max. It might help if I know what you are." _Oh no…_

"Kate, I'd rather not do that. I'm pretty scary when I v-woge? Right?."

"You're not a blutbad are you? Well, no since I'd have probably known already from your scent."

"What? Nevermind. Not even going to ask. To describe my… wesen form, I look something from the Walking Dead."

"I don't watch that show."

"Then you'd be totally unprepared for me."

"Just do it. I'll still know it's you." Max's eyes trailed to the floor as she let her head sink a little. _Just the idea of morphing in front of another person. It was bad enough just telling Chloe I could reverse time but this…_ Kate stood up from her little desk chair to gently raise Max's face by the chin with two of her fingers. The two met eyes and Max could swear her cheeks must be bright pink right now. Then Kate suddenly changed, or rather, woged, right in Max's face.

"Jesus, Kate!" Just as Kate had planned, she startled Max just enough to prompt a woge. Kate was by no means scary being a white puffball of a creature, but to someone who was not used to a full woge, it can be unsettling. Max however, was terrifying and Kate immediately recoiled. Max was right, it fit the description of something dead and walking.

"Sorry! Ijuswantedto-" Kate's words turned incomprehensible as she babbled on, still trembling from Max's change. Max calmed herself down enough to shift back to her human form.

"Okay, now that you've seen it…" Max still had to catch her breath and Kate too calmed down within a few seconds.

"Can you?" She huffs one more time. "Can you help me figure out what I am?" Kate sat back down, eyes searching Max's, trying to figure out if she can even answer that question.

"I've never seen one of you before. I've seen blutbad, fuchsbau, coyotl, hundjäger, and many others, but never anything like you."

"More words that fly right over my head."

"Well, Max, wesen is a blanket term for… people like us. And within that group you have various species."

"So... Like an animal kingdom?"

"I guess you could call it that."

"What are you then?"

"A seelengut."

"Is everyone like this? I saw Victoria woge in the bathroom."

"Wait. You got _Victoria_ to woge?"

"Uh… yeah. I forgot to mention that I'm also magic and that I scared the shit out of her by shattering a mirror with my mind." Kate stared blankly at her, unsure what to think of that statement. She then had an idea and turned her attention to searching the desk she sat at.

"Kate? What is it?" Rummaging through her desk drawers, she found a small pocket book out from one of them.

"Try seeing if you can find something in here. It's a book my dad gave me before I went to Blackwell." She handed it to Max. The title read 'The Flock's Guide to the Dangers of Our World.' She gave Kate a curious look before opening it. A note was hidden within the cover.

'Dear Kate, The world is a dangerous place. As a seelengut, I know being outside of the flock only makes that more apparent. I hope this guide will help you avoid those who would do our kind, and you, harm. I will pray to the Lord every day for your safety and look forward to your return after your schooling is over. -Love Pop.'

"Your dad must really care about you Kate."

"He does. Just see if you can find if your species is listed in there." Max began flipping pages. They all had pictures of various types of wesen, each with a name and a small description. _Anubis? No, too Egyptian-god-like. Blutbad? No, too hairy. Coyotl? No, and even hairier than the last. Fuchsbau? No but that is what Victoria is._ Max stared at the Fuchsbau entry for a few seconds.

"Did you find it?"

"Not yet. I'm just looking at this one because this is what Victoria is." Max angled the booklet so Kate could see the page.

"I've begun to loathe fuchsbau since I met her."

"Oh." Max continued looking, until she found the answer she was looking for.

"Hexenbiest…" Max muttered under her breath, her eyes glued to the near exact artistic rendition of her wesen form.

"Hexenbiest?"

"One-hundred and ten percent positive." Kate wasn't very happy about the response, like she had heard the name before.

"Can you read the description please. I'm curious about what it says."

"Yes I can. Um, Hexenbiest are witches and… daughters of satan himself. One must avoid these creatures at all cost and if you come in contact with one… seek the help of a benevolent Grimm to dispatch the creature… preferably…" Max's words trailed off as her finger lay practically bolted down to the closing words of the entry.

"Max?"

"Preferably by decapitation..." Max gulped after she read the last words. Concern overcame her and Kate immediately rose to comfort Max placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Max, don't worry. You don't fit that description at all. If anything, you're…" Max looked Kate in the eyes wondering what her next words would be.

"You're an angel, Max. That much is evident since you stepped in between David and I yesterday." _She really thinks I am an angel? I know David is a douchebag but, do I really deserve that much praise?_

"I hate bullies. Why was he harassing you anyway?"

"Well, it was about the video…"

* * *

Max stepped out of the dormitories after talking to Kate about that awful viral video. Worse yet, Nathan Prescott was involved. Kate told Max how he might have drugged her at the party where the video was shot. There was also some white room she remembered after Nathan said he would take her to the E.R. Everything in Kate's story made Max's stomach turn. It could have been worse. Maybe it was worse. She ultimately told Kate to go to the Police, though the idea Kate presented about her being a witness made Max uncomfortable. She wasn't at the party, she just listened to Kate's story. Not to mention she had entered a whole new world where people could turn into creatures. Wesen was what Kate called them.

"Max, get over here." Max internally sighed as Warren called for her attention. She hoped to avoid him on her way to the diner.

"Warren, what are you doing here?" She responded, curious why he looks like he's been waiting for someone.

"Oh, nothing - waiting. For a call? I mean, I already took the call…" Warren nervously fidgeted around, stumbling on his words.

"Anyway. I wanted to rap about that action yesterday." Max noticed the black eye Nathan gave him yesterday in the parking lot. Warren stood between the two when Nathan got in her face. Of course, Max now believed she'd no longer need him anymore since she could probably scare Nathan away herself, unless he can woge into something worse somehow.

"By the way, thank you for stepping in. You were pretty badass, Warren. I owe you."

"Oh yes, you do. I got knocked on my ass by that dick. I'm some personal superhero." _But no angel._

"You're a real 'Everyday Hero.' You stood up to a bully and it was awesome." Max knew Warren had some romantic feelings towards her and while she wasn't interested, it was nice to see him stick up for her.

"Even though you left me with said bully and ran off with that girl… She's pretty punk rock, how do you know her?"

"An old friend. Chloe Price? We haven't seen each other in a while."

"I bet you were glad to see her blast up in that truck like a rock star… Which begs the question - why is Nathan Prescott getting psycho on you?"

"I busted him in the bathroom yesterday with a gun. I'll give you the story later. Principal Wells is taking care of it now, I hope."

"Weird fucking week. Like that bizarro snowfall yesterday. Speaking of dystopia, that drive-in is having a 70's 'Planet of the Apes' marathon. Let's 'Go Ape!'

"No, I don't think I can concentrate on going out to the movies." _Or being around you for the runtime of all those movies combined._ "I just feel like escaping."

"Fine, be a damned dirty human, I'll 'Go Ape' myself." Warren sounded almost hurt there. He turned his head back to his phone and Max walked off without another word. She came to the front of the school to be picked up by a bus and head off to Two Whales Diner to meet her best blue haired friend, Chloe Price.

* * *

Two Whales was an adventure of its own. The belgian Waffles were better than Max remembered. Chloe wanted to see Max's powers in action. First, she tested Max by having her guess the object's in her pockets to find out she was right down to the timestamp on her parking ticket. Then Max blew her mind by predicting a set of events, even a cockroach breaking the jukebox. Upon leaving, Kate called, but Chloe kept Max from answering. After they left the diner, Chloe drove them to the junkyard to have some fun with Max's powers. They arrived and Chloe gleefully headed to an open area in the yard, beer in hand.

"Wait up, speedy!" Max shouts as Chloe outruns her.

"Dude this is going to be so cool!" Chloe replies, excited to experiment more with Max's powers, and practice power of her own.

"Slow down. Wait for me to get your present."

"You can just back time up… We'll have to test you now to make sure." Chloe turns, arms open, presenting the trash and beat up old cars like a show were about to begin. "Welcome to American rust, my home away from hell."

"Raw and rough. It suits you."

"Max, do you know how awesome this is? I get my best friend back and now she's supersized?"

"We don't know for how long."

"Exactly why it's time to have fun." The two walk over to another area of the dump, Chloe pulls the gun she stole from her stepfather, David, out of her pants.

"David might be a douche, but you did steal his gun… Is everybody in Arcadia Bay armed now?" Max takes a step away seeing Chloe point it in a direction. While away from Max, it was still uncomfortable to be around guns after what happened yesterday in the bathroom.

"Only the ones who shouldn't be. Like step-Dildo. Until now."

"I'm not in the revolution yet, Che."

"You are the revolution, Max! So we should figure out how to best use and abuse your power, with a test." Chloe drinks some of her beer before offering Max any.

"Drink?"

"Yuck."

"You are so cute - You haven't changed a bit." The two turn to look at some junk a few feet away. Chloe proceeds to tell Max her plan.

"Okay, let's do this. Can you find five bottles while I prep the shooting range?"

"Beer and guns, nice combo."

"You can handle it. Now go find us five bottles. Pretty please." Chloe holds her bottle in between her hands, hunched forward slightly, and gave Max puppy eyes. _You are such a dork Chloe._

Before Max can head off to look for bottles, Chloe interrupts her one more time with a tug of her hoodie.

"Chloe, what now."

"You know. You aren't the only one with cool powers. Wanna see mine?" Max turned around to look at Chloe. She narrowed her eyes and looked at the blue haired girl intently. _What power could- unless._

"You're wesen. Aren't you."

"Whoa! How did - wait, you let me woge and you rewound, right?"

"No. Just intuition."

"How did you guess that. You were human last I checked."

"Well. Turns out I got more than just power over space and time yesterday." Chloe stared in confusion, waiting for Max to elaborate.

"I'm a hexenbiest… at least according to Kate's pocketbook." Chloe stood silent, eyes fixed on Max's.

"That might explain your power then."

"You really think so?"

"Fuck yeah! I heard hexenbiest can do some hella cool shit like telekinesis and curse people." Max smiled, remembering what she did earlier in the showers.

"This morning, I used my mind to break a mirror in Victoria's face. She's probably still in her dorm room, petrified as we speak." Chloe laughed hysterically, snorting even.

"Holy shit, Max, that is so fucking funny! You should have gotten a picture of it!"

"I wish. Though, she did woge when I did it."

"Fuchsbitch probably brushes her coat with a brush worth more than my house." It was Max's turn to laugh this time. _I shouldn't laugh. I feel kinda bad about Victoria. Though after what she did to Kate, she deserves the treatment._

"Anyway, Max. I should show you the real me. Drumroll, please!" Max bent down near an oil drum and proceeded to give Chloe her drumroll. Chloe turned her back to Max and initiated a woge. She snapped her head quickly to one side prompting a rapid transformation, not unlike what Kate did earlier in the dorm.

Woged, Chloe had pointed ears. Thick brown hair ran down the back of her neck and a small amount appeared on her arms. She turned around to reveal her face, which had sharp, wolf like teeth. The tip of her nose pointed down and the lines around her nostrils became more pronounced. Her eyes blazed bright red and just above them were long, thick, and rather unsightly eyebrows.

Max stood in awe, taking in every detail about Chloe she could. Max remembered yesterday again, how in the bathroom after she triggered the alarm she heard growling. This must be the reason why.

"So Max, what d'ya think?" Chloe's voice was the same as it was then too. Low and gruff, like how one would imagine a wolf talking.

"Well, for starters that explains the snarling I heard after I set the alarm off yesterday." Chloe cocked her head to the side and dismissed her transformation.

"How come you didn't mention that before? I so would have told you about being a blutbad if you asked about that."

"Well. It was bad enough getting you to believe I could reverse time."

"Point taken. So, show me what you got, Caulfield. What does the new witch on the block look like?"

"Witch?"

"Yeah. Remember when mom told us stories about old timey witches?"

"Barely, I was like, 8 when your mom last read fairy tales to the two of us." Chloe took another swig of her beer before setting it on the range.

"Well, in those stories, 'witch' was the word used for hexenbiest."

"How come they aren't called that then."

"Because Max, if people knew wesen existed, they'd hunt us down. It's bad enough having Grimms around. I hope I never meet one. They're hella scary."

"Why?"

"Remember Red Riding Hood Max?"

"Yeah, that one's a classic."

"Well, the Big Bad Wolf was based off a Blutbad, like me. And the lumberjack, he was a Grimm. Consider them the police of the wesen world, except they assume all of us are fucked up."

"Wow." _I guess that is what Kate's book meant then._

"Yeah, now come on. Woge. I wanna see how fucking cool you look!" Max took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and began to woge. It still tingled to do it, but it didn't affect her as much as it did the first time. Soon Max felt the last few ripples of her transformation finish and she opened her eye to see Chloe staring at her. If chloe had nothing holding her jaw in place, it'd be rolling on the ground.

"Uh. Ta-daa." Max's teeth clicked on consonants when woged, furthering Chloe's surprise.

"Chloe?" Chloe came to her senses and big, toothy smile emerged on her face.

"You look fucking rad Max!"

"Glad you like it. I don't." Max resumed her human form after speaking and began surveying the area for bottles.

"Oh come on, Max. Love yourself."

"Why? I look ugly." Chloe blew air from her nose, keeping it from turning into laughter.

"Oh please. Your woge looks fucking sick."

"And not woged?"

"Uh. Hella cute... I guess." Chloe nervously scratched the back of her neck while Max spotted a bottle near a rusty two-door. She Grabbed it, holding it up for Chloe to see.

"Numero uno." Chloe sighed and decided to help Max with the bottles. In minutes, they found all of the bottles they needed. Max even saw the doe from her vision again. She tried to snap a picture of it, but only ended up capturing everything else, like it was some kind of spirit. They had fun shooting bottles, Max rewinding to make sure Chloe never missed a shot, and to correct Chloe accidentally shooting herself. They finished their shooting gallery by bringing a car down on top of the remaining bottles.

Afterwards though, Max bled from her nose and collapsed. The amount of rewinding she had been doing was taking its toll on her body. While asleep she has another vision of the tornado, more up close and personal, like she was sucked into it. She awakes minutes later to Chloe running her fingers through her hair, smiling to see that her friend was okay.

"You freaked me out there. Do you feel any better now?" _My head is pounding. At least I'm still alive._

"A little. Thanks for helping me, just… give me a minute…"

"Too much action for Arcadia?"

"Maybe not enough. This is kinda fun. Scary and stupid, but fun." Max got up from the hood of the car she was resting on to stretch her legs. Chloe laid down and pointed 'her' gun towards the clouds, admiring her little toy.

 _God, this power really messes with my head. Glad I feel normal again._ _I better go chat up Chloe._ Max walked back to the car her friend was resting on and Chloe got up to speak.

"Okay, looks like you're ready to lock and load."

"I don't know about this…" Max had never used a firearm before. Considering her experience with them as an observer, she didn't want to either.

"Are you afraid of getting in trouble?" Max just stared at Chloe, unsure how to answer. There were multiple reasons why she didn't want to play with guns.

"Oh boo hoo, Max is afraid! I know you can handle this. And I'm here to guide you." Chloe handed Max the gun.

"Make me proud sista."

From around the corner came a man clad in a leather jacket and pale jeans. He had several tattoos on his neck and a scraggly haircut paired with a moustache and goatee. Walking in, he announced his presence.

"Hey, it's Thelma and Louise." He holds his arms out, grinning ear to ear, stepping towards them he lowers his arms and continues.

"Or is it bonnie and Clyde?"

"Excuse us, Frank." Chloe replied, annoyed by his presence. Max held the gun behind her, shifting away from strange man.

"Oh sorry, Chloe. Don't let me get in the way of your bonding." Sarcasm ran thick in Frank's voice.

"I heard the gunshots and breaking glass. It's cute that you're playing with guns. Just like me at your age." Chloe cringed and looked him firmly in the eyes with furrowed brows.

"We are nothing alike, man."

"We both need money. In fact, you need it so bad you owe me a shitload. Don't you, Chloe?" He creeps closer to Chloe, starring the blue haired girl down from four feet away. Max could barely understand what was going on.

"You'll get your money."

"Don't they all say that? Y'know, even when they're broke and acting tough…" Frank then turns his attention to Max, pointing at her.

"What are you hiding there, girlie? Let me see!" Chloe notices something on his wrist. A bracelet.

"Where did you get that bracelet?" She barks, fury building up inside her. Max even noticed the color of her eyes shift to the same red her blutbad form had.

"A friend. And it's none of your goddamn business. You're my business now and I-"

"That's Rachel's bracelet. Why the fuck are you wearing her bracelet?" Chloe interrupts him, baring her teeth. Now frank's eyes glowed white. _Shit, he's wesen too?_

"Calm yourself, alright? It was a gift."

"No it wasn't! You stole that shit. Give it to me right now, asshole!" Chloe snapped her head to the side again and woged. Frank in kind woged as well, losing all of his hair and skin in exchange for green scales. His tongue was long and forked and he bared sharp fangs. To top it off, he even drew a knife.

"You better step back before you regret it, girl. I mean it. You want me to cut you, bitch?" Frank hissed his words and Chloe backed away. Even woged she still treated the presence of a knife with care. The two turned their heads to see Max holding up the gun, pointing it at Frank.

"Please… please step back." Max stumbled on her words, but it drew the man's attention well enough. Frank held out his hands. Even through his scales, Max could tell he felt uneasy.

"You're kidding. Put that down." _This guy is fucking scary. I should just blow him away but I don't want to be charged with murder._ Frank walked over to Max, still holding the gun up towards him. Frank's scaly hand wrapped around the barrel and attempted to yank it away. But to no avail, it didn't budge from Max's hands. _Perhaps I could just fuck with him instead._

Again, frank tried to yank the gun from her hands and it remained there. Chloe stood in awe, retracting her woge and watching Max stand her ground.

"Jesus what the fuck have you been eating to be able to hold this thing firmly from a Lausenschange?"

"Oh, sorry. You want it?" Max let it go and again, frank pulled on the barrel one last time before letting go. The gun had nothing holding it in place. Instead, it was hovering, defying Newton's laws before their very eyes. Frank's widened in shock and Max gave him a sly grin.

"The fuck kinda sorcery you pulling on me bitch?" Max responded with a woge, opening her gaping maw to roar at Frank causing him to recoil in terror. Max grabbed the gun from the air and pointed it at him again, this time with more confidence.

"Sorry to disappoint, but it's not sorcery. It's witchcraft." Chloe continued to be amazed by Max's determination.

"Fuck - when the hell did you make a fucking blood oath to have a hexenbiest for a bodyguard."

"I didn't. She's my best friend. So don't fuck with us asshole!" Chloe shouted, standing confident. Frank returned to his human form, hair and skin returning, along with a normal mouth.

"I'll remember this. Especially you, witch, and I never forget." Frank turns one last time to Chloe before running away. "But don't think you don't owe me no more. I still expect my money. Hexenbestie or not." Chloe gave frank the double bird as he ran. Max dismissed her hexenbiest form and faced Chloe, seeing her smiling.

"Hell yeah, Mad Max. You just sent the fucking snake running with his tail between his… Nevermind."

"Jesus, Chloe that was close." Max said as she ran up and hugged her tightly.

"Yeah, but if you hadn't used your magic he'd have our gun." They held the embrace for a short while, Max felt relieved to see that both of them were okay. _I did a good thing, but I feel like Frank is still dangerous._

Chloe pulled away, still holding her hands around Max's arms. The two stared into each other's eyes as they stood there. Feeling awkward, Max handed the gun back to Chloe.

"Here."

"Thanks. We'll need this incase we see him again. Or Nathan." Chloe put the gun in her jeans and pulled her shirt over it so it wasn't exposed. The two decided to go for a walk on the train tracks to continue their adventure.

* * *

Chloe and Max had a conversation stretching across their journey down the tracks. Soon they found that they needed a rest, so Chloe lied on the tracks while Max poked around the building nearby. Unfortunately, just as she was about to take a picture of the scenery. Max succumbed to another vision of the tornado until she heard Chloe's voice. Though it was words Max did not want to hear coming from her best friend.

"Max? Help! I'm stuck!" Max ran over to help Chloe break free.

"Hold on, Chloe!" Max pulled on her arms, but it was no use. Chloe frantically looked around as she heard the train from a distance. _The train. Oh Shit!_ Immediately, Max scrambled to find a way to free Chloe. She noticed the lever used to change the direction of train tracks. Max ran to the lever and gave it a good pull, but it barely budged. The train blared its horn again and she turned her head to see movement far in the distance. It was heading for them, and fast.

"Max! The train's coming!"

"I know, let me figure this out!"

Max turned to the lever again. _Brute force it is then._ She rolled her head and brought out the hexenbiest, gripping the lever again in the process. With all the might she could muster, the mechanism locking it in place broke and the lever moved. _Yes! I did it._ The tracks moved with it and Chloe could break free. Max felt the weight fall off her shoulders and allowed her legs to buckle from exhaustion, retracting her woge as well. Chloe ran over to tend to her friend as the train barreled past them.

"Max. Are you alright?" She knelt down to pick her friend up, cringing when the train's horn was used again.

"That. Was scary."

"You saved me again. Crazy. Now we're totally bonded for life!" Chloe wrapped her arms around her savior, holding her tightly and swaying. The two parted their hug and looked at each other for a short moment.

"Damn, that was close."

"Yeah. Aren't you glad I took you away to a nice quiet desolate spot? Chloe's voice reeked of sarcasm.

"It was cool to spend time in your lair. But I have to get back to school before my next class -"

"Since you're the mysterious superhero… I'll be your faithful chauffeur and companion."

"My powers might not last, Chloe."

"Max. Wesen don't lose their powers. Even if they did - we will last. Forever." They walked back to the junkyard to hop back in Chloe's truck. Waving goodbye to the rusty cars, odorous trash, and shattered bottles of beer, they headed off back to Blackwell Academy.

* * *

Rain poured as the rusty old beast Chloe drove rolled into the front of the school. The two girls shared one last moment before parting ways.

"Thanks for the ride, Chloe. Right on time for my art lesson."

"Thanks for coming with me. Sorry to be so boring..."

"Nothing exciting ever happens to us, right?" Sarcasm was a great tool for Max to express the fun, and terror, she had with her best friend.

"Listen, your power has to be connected to that snow yesterday. That might explain your tornado vision."

"Explain what? Snow equals a ginormous twister that takes out Arcadia Bay? You're high."

"Wake up, Max. You saved my life twice now." _Three if you count the time you shot yourself on accident._

"You altered the course of my destiny, yours, and whoever. Do you know about Chaos Theory." Max knew the basic jist of Chaos Theory. Nothing intricate however.

"Uh… It means 'Shit happens,' right?"

"No, 'Crazy shit happens.' Because it can. And will."

"Why me? I'm just a geek girl in some small town."

"A perfect example of 'strange attractors. Don't they teach you kids anything at Blackwell? We have a tornado, rewind power and freak snow… Hello Armageddon!" _I wouldn't say Armageddon. More like Twister._

"So let's party with your power, rock star!"

"Like you said, Professor Price… a superhero needs a sidekick."

"How can it be such a shitty week. Yet one of the best of my life."

"Because we're back in action." The two performed their besties handshake before Max left the vehicle. As Max was about to close the door, Chloe gave a final word.

"Max, as much as I want Frank to fuck a table saw, I like the name he gave you. I'm keeping it."

"What would that be?"

"You're my 'Hexenbestie' Max." She smiled and closed the door, giving Chloe a farewell wave before heading to class. Chloe put her truck in gear and drove home. Max made her way to class, dodging David on the way, though she still felt like 'Step-Dildo' as Chloe called had his eyes on her. She found Kate and Mr. Jefferson talking at the door. Before Max could even eavesdrop, Kate stormed off with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Why? You don't understand mine. Nobody does… nobody…" _Oh no. Kate..._

"Kate, wait -"

"Please, leave me alone!" Kate's voice stopped Max dead in her tracks. She could only stand there, staring at her friend. _Shit, I should have answered her call._ Kate passed the corner of the hallway and headed for the building exit. _I hope she will be okay. Maybe she just needs some time._

"Sorry you had to see that, Max." The voice of Jefferson while calm, echoed through the halls. Something was bothering him though.

"It's okay. I just hope Kate's going to be okay… I'm worried about her."

"Yes. I am concerned about her too. Though, I think she'll pull through. At least she's submitted her photo for the 'Everyday Heroes' contest. Unlike some students."

"I will get the photo to you soon Mr. Jefferson."

"Deadline's approaching. Surely you have something by now."

"I just want the right one."

"We all do, Max. Don't wait too long. In the professional world, if you have no photos on display, you won't have anything on your plate either."

"Talk about harsh."

"Talk about truth." _Ouch._

"How about we change the subject."

"If we must. How about we talk about what you said happened in the bathroom." Max shifted uncomfortably to the door frame.

"It did happen. Nathan Prescott had a gun in the girls' bathroom yesterday."

"This is a serious accusation, Max."

"So you don't believe me? I would never make something like this up."

"I'll try to take your word for it. I've talked to him about it.."

"Why talk to him? You know he's just going to lie about it."

"I can't discuss the topic anymore than that. Confidentiality and all. Rest assured, Max, this will be handled." Jefferson's phone began ringing after he finished his sentence.

"Hello? Yes? Uh… hold on. I have to take this, so just go into class and I'll be there soon." He walked to the end of the hallway, away from listening ears to have his conversation with the mysterious caller. _This will be handed? I hope so._ Max walked into the classroom to see two people she wished would just disappear. Nathan Prescott, and Victoria Chase. The two were intruding on her desk space by sitting on it.

"Do you think Max will be pissed that we're sitting at her desk?" _Good to see you've crawled out of your den, Victoria._

"I'm sure she'll report us to the principal alright. Like I give a flying fuck." _And Nathan, out and about from your hole too I see.  
_ "Better be quiet, Victoria. We have a master snitch and liar here." Nathan said as Max approached to confront them.

"Did you think we were best friends forever or something?" Victoria of course had to make some snarky remark towards her favorite 'hipster trash.'

"Not at all, Victoria. Besides, I don't think mirrors like you either." Max grinned, knowing just what reaction that would get.

"Mi - What the fuck are you talking about, Caulfield!"

"You know. And so do I."

"Look, I don't know how that freaky shit happened. Bring it up again and -"

"Bring what up, Victoria? That you cowered near my stall like a baby. Just what you deserve after how you've been treating Kate." Victoria furrowed her brows and her eyes flashed yellow for a short second before a blink drove the color away. Nathan made angry cat sounds at the girls.

"Fuck off, prick. Max, how about we debate mirrors somewhere - anywhere but here." _Does Victoria really want to fight me? Really? Fine. Challenge Accepted._

"How about the little girls' room, since you are one." That last remark led Victoria to storm out of the class. Max followed, ignoring Nathan's silly noises. Victoria ran to the other end of the hall, giving Max one last glare before entering the bathroom. Max entered seconds after to see Victoria, arms crossed, eyes narrow, teeth bared, and face red. She wasn't woged, but Max felt it would come to that in the fight.

"Mind explaining what the hell you saw this morning, hipster trash."

"Already told you." Victoria approached Max to stare her down. She was just inches away, staring eye to eye.

"Look, if you want me to apologize for being a bitch to you. Fine. Jus-"

"Victoria! I don't give a fuck about what you've done to me!" Max's voice echoed off of the walls of the restroom. If anyone else was in there they would have scattered like roaches, or set their phones to record.

"You don't…" Victoria's tone changed to a much calmer one and her expression relaxed. Something seemed off to Max. _This is fucking weird. It's Kate she needs to apologize to. Not me._ Max was reminded of how Kate broke down right in front of her earlier in the halls. She felt vengeance surge through her. _This is all your fault!_ In a blind rage Max woged, grabbed Victoria by her cashmere sweater and pinning her to the wall, prompting a woge in response.

"I'm not the one you need to say sorry to, bitch! You've been ruining Kate's life! Fuck me! It's her you need to apologize to!" Victoria struggled to break free from the beast Max had unleashed upon her, but it was no use. She was far too strong for her. A fuchsbau was no match for a hexenbiest no matter the playing field. If it wasn't Max's strength, it would have been her magic.

"Please! Let me go! Gh - I'm sorry! Alright!" For the first time ever, Victoria showed an emotion Max felt she never had. Regret. Tears streamed down Victoria's fur coated face. She opened her eyes to see Max staring at her with her one, blind looking eye. They searched each other's features for a moment and the tension fell. Max let Victoria stand on her own two feet, but continued to hold her grip.

"Fine." Max returned to her human form and Victoria followed suit. "Apologize to Kate. Then leave her the fuck alone." Victoria wiped her tears away, simply nodding in response. Max let her go and walked over to the door to hear footsteps and shouting from the other side. She opened it to see students pour out of the building. Victoria crept up to the door to see the commotion. The two exited and followed the herd, headed for the girls' dormitory.

Max and Victoria arrived behind the pack. The were all standing out the front of the dormitory. Some students had their phones held high. Others covered their faces like something horrible was about to happen. Logan was shouting in the back.

"Bitch flipped out!" His voice was loud and droning like it normally was. When the two turned the corner, the sight shocked both of them. _Kate!_ Kate Marsh was standing on the edge of the roof, three stories high, with arms wide open.

"Max, what is she-" Everyone collectively screamed as Kate fell forward off of the roof. It was her suicide that was taking place, and Max had to stop it. Max outstretched her arm and time began to rewind just as Kate was inches from the ground. Pain shot through Max's head, but she had to stop this somehow. Time resumed once more and blood trickled down Max's upper lip. Her power was failing her.

"Max, what is she-" Again she jumped. _She can't die. She can't_ Max again endured the pain and rewound once again. Kate was on the roof once again when suddenly Max felt time no longer move backwards, but halt entirely. Max Caulfield had stopped time. She observed the students, frozen perfectly still, as if it were a photo. Even the birds and rain had ceased all motion. The world itself might have even stopped spinning. All of that was unimportant right now. Kate was all Max was focused on as she needed her help.

 _Keep… going… Max…_ She slogged through the courtyard, weaving around frozen students and headed for the door. She opened it and climbed the building while maintaining her hold on time. She opened the door to see Kate standing at the edge just a few meters away. _Yes._ The spell broke and Max tended to her nose before attempting to rewind again. When she tried to rewind again, she could only groan as pain shot through her like a bolt of lighting. Her power over time was gone. Hearing her, Kate turned her attention to Max.

"What are you doing here, Max?" Again, Max tried to rewind again, but was met with the same feeling of agony.

"Stop! Don't come near me!" _Not now… It won't work… I don't have any power…_ Max looked at Kate from where she was standing. _Now I have to do this… By myself?_

"Max, seriously, don't come near me. I will jump."

"Okay, okay. I'm right here. Kate, please…"

"Oh Max, I know you want to help me… I love that you stepped up to David, but it doesn't matter now. Nothing matters."

"You matter. And not just to me."

"I do want to believe that…"

"Kate, your life is still yours. And we can get through this together… Let me help."

"You are such a liar! You wanted to help by ignoring my phone call?" _Oh Kate. Why did I not answer you?_

"I swear, it was in silent mode and I didn't see it or I totally would have answered!"

"I needed you to answer, Max. Everybody thinks I'm a viral slut now." Max sees a tear amongst the raindrops stream down Kate's face. It broke her heart to see it, and Kate must have felt the same way when Max neglected to answer.

"There is no 'everybody' - There's only your friends and your family who love you. Kate please trust me. Come stand by me, okay? I can help you now… I know I can. Remember when I told you about how I broke them mirror this morning. I broke it because Victoria wrote the link to the video on it."

"Are you serious? Thank you so much… The fact that you don't care about that video and would come up here to stop me means a lot." At last, Max felt like she was breaking through.

"Of course. Like I said this morning, I think Nathan is involved. I just need time to prove it. And I have a way with time…" _I hope still have it at least._

"You sound so persuasive, Max… If only…"

"Kate, I believe you. Will you believe me?" Max took a few steps closer to Kate. "Please… you don't have to do this…"

"Max, I'm in a nightmare and I can't wake up… unless I put myself to sleep. Then everybody at Blackwell can post pics of my body... I'm already on the internet forever. No wonder they call it a 'web' - nothing can ever get out. Like my video… I wish I could go back in time and erase everything…" _Me too. I want to erase all of this fucked up shit from your life._

"Kate, this is our chance to beat the bullies. That's the only way we can win against them."

"Can we really, Max? I don't believe in miracles anymore either."

"Now I do. You're part of the reason why. You opened up a world to me that I never knew existed. I can tell you more if you just come down with me." _Please, Kate._

"You're such a good person, Max. Even if you are a hexenbiest. But I'll come with you… You're my friend" Max stepped forward once more, now just a few feet away.

"Forever. Can we hug on it?"

"No… Nobody cares about me, nobody…" _Please no, Kate!_

"Kate, remember what your father wrote in your book. He said he would pray for you every day. You think he cares about a video?"

"Max. If his prayers worked, I wouldn't be here. I wonder if there even is a god anymore… I guess I'll find out. Won't I?" Kate turned to face the edge. Ready to make her descent once again. Students screamed, covering their eyes and hoping the nightmare would end.

"Kate! No!" Max screamed her name and a woge came forth. Just as Kate's foot was about to part ways with the roof. She stopped. Time hadn't, just Kate. Max took the opportunity to grab Kate and bring her back onto the roof. The two collapsed on the hard wet floor, Max clutching Kate tightly in her arms. Kate looked up to see her, eyes wide in surprise. Kate was sure she was going to fall the ground below.

"Max?" She whispered, barely louder than the rain. Max closed her eye, a tear made it's way out and she returned to her human form before speaking.

"Kate. If your father's prayers meant nothing… then I wouldn't be here." Max opened her eyes to see Kate, her mouth curved into a heartwarming smile. Kate Marsh had a reason to feel joy again, all thanks to Maxine Caulfield. They lost themselves in a much needed hug. The stress had vanished, and the nightmare was over. _You were right, Kate. I am an angel. Your guardian angel._

* * *

"Now, I know today was difficult for everybody, but I'm so proud of the way Blackwell pulled together to save a young girl's life." After Max had rescued Kate Marsh, she, Nathan Prescott, Mark Jefferson, and David Madsen were taken to Principal Wells office.

"Of course, you're quite a hero for getting Kate to come down, Max." She never had a high opinion of Wells considering he did nothing about Nathan having a gun, letting him continue to freely walk the halls of Blackwell, or wherever else he creeped around.

"I didn't do much."

"She's modest. Like a real hero." Jefferson says, giving Max a smile of appreciation. David on the other hand.

"Yeah. 'Real hero.'"

"As principal of Blackwell Academy, I take my duties seriously. I take the well-being of every student more seriously. What happened today should never happen in a hall of wisdom and knowledge." He looked out of the window before turning to David.

"Mr. Madsen, as our head of security here, those roof doors should always be locked. That's just standard operating procedure. They were not. And that is indeed your responsibility." David let his hands fall to his side and lowered his head, knowing that he had indeed failed his duty.

"Mr. Jefferson, I know you can't be expected to know what your students are going through, but Kate has assisted you in class, so you should have known something was amiss." Wells then turned his attention to Nathan.

"Mr. Prescott, since you are responsible for the Vortex Club parties… And since Miss Marsh did attend your last party, you'll have to answer some more questions" He sat in his large leather chair before asking Max anything, resting on the desk before him with his arms.

"Miss Caulfield, why exactly were you on the roof with Kate Marsh? Did she tell you her plan? Or anything at all? Please, tell us everything." _What do I tell him. Nathan fucking drugged her, David harassed her, and she cried after talking to Mr. Jefferson._ Max had a difficult decision. All of the men besides Wells were responsible in some form or another, but Nathan by far was the root cause of it all.

"All I know is that Kate was at a party and Nathan dosed her." Nathan turned his head to face his accuser. "She got wasted and kissed some boys on a viral video without a clue."

"I dosed her? Without a clue? Have you seen the video? Whatever." Nathan's tone had a hint of laughter to it, like he found it to be a joke. "Kate was loaded and playing the field -" Nathan tried to continue but Max interrupted him.

"You're a liar. You told Kate you took her to the emergency room!" She was angry, furious that he tried to refute the claim when all signs pointed to him.

"I said I was going to take her to the ER. She sobered up eventually."

"Bullshit! Something happened to her, and you know it. How about we talk about you waving a gun in the girls' bathroom -"

"Hey, that's total slander! I could sue you and this school so fast!" Nathan was furious to a point where his eyes glowed yellow. They were not much different than Victoria's, but they seemed more hollow and uncaring while simultaneously far more hateful. "...I already have a personal lawyer." He ended, eyes returning to normal.

"Careful, Mr. Prescott. I have been told of this alleged gun incident. And I have to admit that the video in question was sent to me by multiple sources."

"Including me." David announced proudly, like he felt like it was doing some kind of good. In a way, it was, but it didn't lessen the tension in the room any. Wells continued from his last statement.

"...And since Mr. Prescott does appear prominently in the video and was responsible for the party, I have no choice but to suspend him until further notice." Nathan threw up his hands and leaned back into the chair he was sitting in.

"Whatever. See you in court."

"Excuse me, I think Max and Nathan need a break before we grill them further. A friend and student just tried to kill herself… They don't need this forum right now." Jefferson ended things before they could get any worse.

"Yes, I'm kinda devastated right now. I'd like to be with my family." Of course, Nathan felt the need to continue being snarky. Max simply couldn't care anymore. Her head felt like it was about to explode and she just wanted to curl up in her bed and forget this ever happened. Wells picked up a sheet of paper, some kind of contract with a signature line at the bottom.

"All right, Miss Caulfield, please sign here to confirm what you've told us. I'll continue this investigation from there." Max without hesitation signed the document. After she signed it, the Principal took it and dismissed everyone.

"Well, I think we know less now than when we started. We'll be assisting the police with further inquiries. I know this has been a stressful day… I wish I had the power to change it all for the better… so thank you, for coming in." Everyone departed and went their separate ways. Max wondered what sort of wesen Nathan was. She might find out another time, but for now. Max had much needed sleep to attend to.

* * *

Before Max could go to bed, she sat at her desk and stared out of the window of her dorm room. It was peaceful to just stare out at the sunset. Something unusual happened however. Not snow this time, no twister either. This time, a solar eclipse happened. Max checked her laptop to see if one was supposed to happen today as she would have heard about it on the news. It turns out there wasn't supposed to be one. She took one brief look at it once more. It was really happening. Before the eclipse was over, Max's eyes fell shut as she passed out at her desk. Even a witch will succumb to sleep when the time calls. _Could this week get any more grimm?_


	3. Chapter 3: Little Pieces of Time

**Life is Grimm**

 **Chapter III: Little Pieces of Time**

"For a while they stood there, like men on the edge of a sleep where nightmare lurks, holding it off, though they know that they can only come to morning through the shadows."

-The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

* * *

A dim blue light fell on the orange trees of Columbia Park while a cool autumn breeze rustled the leaves out of place. People milled about, jogging, walking their dogs, skateboarding, or just taking in the scenery. Things had been relatively calm for a while, so much so that Nick Burkhardt had little to do in between cases. He sat idle on a bench, flicking through his iphone, calmly taking in the fall atmosphere. It had been seven months since the Zerstorer attacked Portland, and Nick, along with his Grimm family slain it. Things were noticeably quiet since then. No more wesen terrorist groups like 'Black Claw' to speak of, no doomsday prophecies leering overhead, and wesen related crime had been less weird than usual. Sure, the work laid out for him still far outdoes anything he and his police partner Hank have dealt with before Nick realized he was a Grimm, but it is still easier to solve a case of a blutbad tearing someone's limbs off than it was to track down a varme tyv who sucked the heat from their victim.

While scrolling through his social media feed, he noticed the lighting change around him from a blue hue to a vibrant orange. Voices around him picked up, pointing to the spectacle.

"Woah, Becky look up! I didn't hear there was a solar eclipse happening today, did you?" He heard one woman say. When he looked to the sky, he saw it was clearly that there was a solar eclipse happening. Looking back down at his phone, he checked the local news to see if there was any mention of a solar eclipse. Without hesitation, there was already a post about it in the developing stories tab. 'Breaking: Solar Eclipse happens three months early. Tune in later for expert analysis of the topic', posted 1 minute ago. His ringtone begins playing and Nick's reading was interrupted by a call from Hank.

"What's up, Hank?" he answers.

"Hey, Nick, the captain just called me a few minutes ago, said he needed you and I at the Precinct."

"On my way, by the way, did you see the eclipse."Nick asks.

"Yeah, I was driving down Colombia. Had to pull over so I didn't get blinded, so figured I'd call since I'm here."

"Doesn't it seem just a little weird to you?"

"I'm used to weird, Nick." Hank chuckled.

"True. Meet you there." Nick hung up the phone, putting it in his pocket before heading back to his car, taking the walk as a moment ponder what could be going on, but simply concluded that it is was best to worry about it later.

* * *

Nick entered the station after the brief ride from the park. It was late so the employee count was slim. A crew of essentials and night shift members walked the halls, some answering phone calls, and others were filing paperwork. One officer brought a man shouting obscenities through the halls to a cell, ending the man's yelling with 'You have the right to remain silent.' Nick however was still confused by the eclipse, and he was not alone as he heard chatter from the other officers about it. While lost in thought, another officer walked by, catching Nick's attention.

"Hey, Nick. Hank is already with the captain and with two other folks. Best not to keep them waiting too long." Sergeant Wu caught sight of Nick and gestured in the direction of the captain's office.

"Thanks, Wu." Nick nodded.

"So, by any chance do you happen to know why there was an eclipse earlier?" Wu asked, clicking his pen against a clipboard.

"I wish I knew. Looked it up and there wasn't supposed to be one today."

"Same, was hoping you had an explanation for it."

"I wish. Haven't read anything in the books about off schedule lunar events."

"Yeah, between that and the snow that happened up in Arcadia, I'd say things are getting pret-ty strange around here. Not like we aren't used to it or anything. Anyway, you should go see what the captain wants." Wu nods goodbye and sits back at his desk to file some paperwork as Nick heads to the captain's office to see what is going on. He opens the door to the to see Sean Renard standing behind his desk and Hank sitting patiently next to a couple.

"Got here just in time, Nick. I was about to brief Hank without you." Renard declared, pointing to the door, implying Nick close it.

"Thanks captain, so what's going on." Nick replied, shutting the door and walking in.

"Mr. and Mrs. Marsh, care to explain to Detective Burkhardt why it is you're here?" he asks. Nick observes the two. The woman is rocking in her chair, visibly distraught. Immediately he can see her woge, revealing white woolen fur, eyes like a herd animal, and hooved hands, all while retaining her hair which was neatly tied in a bun. He recognized she was unmistakably a seelengut for certain. The man on the other hand was much more composed, he did not woge, but he looked to Nick with some degree of familiarity.

"You're the Grimm I've heard so much about, yes Mr. Burkhardt?" his voice was slow, calm, but not without distress. Nick raised his brow before addressing him. It was common for him to be recognized while working on a case, but rare for someone to seek him out.

"Yes, that would be correct Mr. Marsh."

"Richard." the man said, standing to exchange a handshake with Nick, before sitting back down to further explain everything. "Well, then I've come to the right people. My wife and I just the heard news that, um, our daughter, Katie just tried to, well, commit suicide." the calm demeanor he held began to crumble as he tried to explain why they were here. "Please, if you would, I would like you to find the ones responsible for driving her attempt this."

The woge Mrs. Marsh had faded, tears streaming down her face as she clutched her cross necklace.

"I know, I wasn't the kindest mother, but… I never thought Kate would try to-" her words trailed off, trying to keep back the regret she was feeling.

"It wasn't your fault honey. She's safe now. God's keeping a good eye on our little Katie. That's why she's still with us..." Richard wrapped his arm around his wife, doing his best to comfort her.

Nick watched, thinking about his son, Kelly, and wondering what sort of future he was going to have. He did not learn he was a Grimm until his mid twenties and wondered how Kelly will take it, being exposed to wesen, or even just dealing with normal life. At least he's surrounded by the right people to teach him about the wesen world, but it still brings concern.

"So, your daughter, Kate attempted suicide. Do you know why this was? Was this over bullying at her school?" Hank asked, trying to get a full picture of the situation. Mr. Marsh turned his body to Nick, not taking his eyes off of the floor.

"Definitely. Ever since this god forsaken video of her at a party was put online, she had been receiving so much harassment over it. She dare not speak about it since she was so embarrassed. Understandably so, but god will forgive her." he woged too, same kind wesen as his wife. He glanced at Nick only to be startled seeing a Grimm face to face.

"Sorry sir, I-" he retracted the woge, looking to the floor again.

"No Mr. Marsh, you don't need to apologize. We understand. We'll do everything we can to help your daughter." Nick replied, trying his best to sound reassuring.

"Thank you Mr. Burkhardt, you too Detective Griffin. See to it that justice is met." He stood up, and put on his coat and helped his wife stand, holding her hand, escorting her out the door.

"Have a safe evening you two, we'll let you know if we find out anything Mr. and Mrs. Marsh." Renard told them on their way out.

Before leaving, Mr. Marsh turns to the detectives to say "God bless you, Grimm." Nick closes the door behind him and turns to the captain to be briefed about the case.

"Well gentlemen, we have an interesting case on our hands." he exclaims, sitting at his desk, pulling out several folders.

"What I'm guessing is that this is wesen for sure?" Hank asks, grabbing the top folder.

"Yes, as I'm sure you saw, Nick, Mr. and Mrs. Marsh are seelenguter who run a local church group. Their daughter attempted to commit suicide jumping off of the girl's dormitory at Blackwell Academy." Renard stated, opening a laptop he had ready for them to see.

"Blackwell? That doesn't sound local." Hank said.

"That's because it isn't. It's a private arts school in Arcadia Bay just a few hours west of here."

"We don't get many out of town cases, why us and not A.B.P.D.?" Nick asked, examining the contents of one of the folders.

"Well, Kate's parents wanted you specifically on the case. It took a lot of negotiating with the department to get you two on board. I see you already have the folder for Nathan Prescott." Renard pointed to the folder Nick was studying.

"D.U.I., vandalism, attempted robbery, etcetera. Nothing too out of the ordinary aside from all of them being cleared. He's wesen too I'm guessing?" Nick inquired, shutting the folder.

"Yes, hundjager. Mr. Prescott belongs to a powerful family, which is why his charges all list as cleared. Right now he's our number one suspect. I gathered that Principal Wells questioned him, along with another student with an officer present. The other student, named Maxine Caulfield stated that Mr. Prescott allegedly drugged Kate at a party, which resulted in the aforementioned video and subsequent bullying. Ms. Caulfield also accused Mr. Prescott of bringing a gun on campus, though the department told me they concluded it was was false. I, of course have my suspicions, but now it's your job to find out the truth." Nick examined another folder while the captain dispensed information. This one was Maxine's folder. Spotless record, not even a misdemeanor drug charge. It seemed understandable to Nick how the two are so adversarial.

"Well then, should we head out tonight so we can start the investigation tomorrow morning?" Nick said, closing the folder.

"Yes, but before you go, I want you to watch the video of what transpired earlier." Renard says, turning the laptop around so Nick and Hank can see.

The video plays. The quality stands out as mediocre due to the poor lighting and rain, but everything pertinent can be seen just fine regardless. At the edge of the building stood Kate Marsh, her back to the crowd. A mix of young voices is drowned out by the rain, but when she turns to the crowd the voices pick up, soon enough, audible screams come through the speakers as she attempts to jump, but is thankfully pulled back onto the roof by another student. The video ends suddenly when they hear frantic fumbling to turn the recording off.

"I'm guessing the student who saved her was Ms. Caulfield?" Hank asked.

"Yes. Ms. Marsh was nearly off of the roof, and if it wasn't for her friend, events would have turned out tragic" Renard replied, closing the laptop and putting it to the side.

"I bet the parents owe her a huge debt." Nick added.

"I don't know about that, they think the hand of God saved her, and considering how far she was off of the roof before Maxine pulled her in, I don't blame them for thinking that. Anyway, you two should get going. Find a local hotel, all expenses will be covered by the department so feel free to stay wherever is most convenient for the investigation. I'll keep in contact." the captain motions his hand telling them to leave and the the two comply. Hank picks up his jacket and Nick tucks the folders Renard gave him under his arm. After they've left the office, Hank goes over to his computer to shut it down since it won't be in use for a while.

"I haven't been to Arcadia yet. Wonder what it's like." Nick asked, leaning against the desk with the folders tucked under his arm.

"I drove through a couple of times. Small town, quiet. Looks like this week has thrown them for a loop though."

"We should tell Monroe and Rosalee that we're going out of town for a while."

"Yeah, I think you're right, Nick. I'd say you ought to go tell'em. They're probably at the spice shop right now. I'll head home and pack some essentials."

"Alright, just meet me at the spice shop then."

"See you there." Nick and Hank left the station and headed their separate ways so they could prepare for the trip.

* * *

Nick pulled up to the spice shop and was glad to see it still in operation. One customer just left with a bag of herbs with Rosalee just behind him to switch the sign from 'Open' to 'Closed'. Nick exited his SUV and made his way into the shop. The bell rung as he opened the door and his friends Monroe and Rosalee turn to greet him.

"Hey, Nick. What brings you here?" Rosalee asks gleefully.

"Well, Hank and I have a new case."

"Already? Didn't we just help you with one three days ago?" Monroe replies, scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah, though I am not here to ask for help. Just telling you that Hank and I have to go to Arcadia Bay for this one."

"Really? Do you need any help?" Rosalee asks as she shuffles around the store stocking various jars of various unusual ingredients.

"No, I think Hank and I can do it on our own. Might ask for help over the phone, but beyond that this doesn't seem like a particularly bizarre case. Besides, you have "

"You know, Nick, I've got some family there I haven't seen in awhile." Monroe says, taking slow, deliberate steps around the delicate merchandise.

"Really? I didn't know that." Nick replied, stunned at the new information

"Yeah, was wondering if, you know, I could come with. I would like to get back touch with Bill and them."

"I'd be happy having you along with, but you should probably ask her for permission." The two look over to Rosalee holding a small vial of spices.

"You can go. Just be sure to stay safe. Maybe we could have them help us out with the kids sometime?"

"Thanks, that's a good idea. I'll be sure to call when we get there."

"So, Nick, when are you guys leaving?" She asks.

"Hank is already packing. I think we ought to head off tonight so we can find a place to settle in so we can start early."

"Guess I should pack too, huh." Monroe adds, making his way to the door.

"Well, that would be wise." Rosalee stops him at the door to give him a kiss. The two exchange a smile before he leaves. The door closes and she returns to stocking more wares.

"Since you're here, how about we talk about this adventure you're taking my Monroe on." Rosalee puts another loose jar away.

"Well, a girl just attempted to kill herself at her school."

"Oh my god that's awful. Is she okay?" Rosalee stops what she's doing for a moment, showing concern.

"Yeah, her friend saved her. She likely tried to do it because of some bullying over a video of her where she might have been drugged by another student."

"Kids these days are so… so horrible to each other! And the internet isn't helping either..." Rosalee begins thinking to herself while she puts away more ingredients. Being a mother of three now, she becomes visibly upset at the thought of her children encountering such horrible trauma, forgetting the force she was using to stock items.

"Well, we got involved because the parents specifically sought us out. The one suspected of drugging her belongs to a powerful family of hundjager."

"Oh, so an entitled brat takes advantage of a young girl. God what a piece of-"

-Crack!

One of the jars fell off of the shelves as Rosalee slammed something onto one of them.

"Damn!" Rosalee huffs, reaching for a nearby dustpan. Nick goes to help, bringing a bin to the accident and picking up two large shards of glass to toss.

"Here, I'll get it." He offered.

"No no, it's fine, Nick, I'm just… a little upset."she pauses, taking a moment to breathe. "Poor thing, I hope you catch this son of a bitch." she says, carefully kneeling down to clean up the broken glass and now ruined batch ground tosses the jar's remains into the bin Nick brought and put it away by the counter.

"So, would you care for some tea?"

"Thank you very much. Anything that will keep me awake please." he answered.

"Very well, I have just the thing." Rosalee grabs a nondescript looking bag from a cabinet containing pre-ground tea leaves and heads to the side room where some brewing equipment is.

"Thanks, Rosalee. By the way, Hank is dropping by too."

"Three cups it is then." she says cheerfully as she grabs an extra cup.

* * *

"So, you'll be going to Arcadia Bay for a few days?" Adalind asked, curious about Nick's out of town venture. It was not often for him to go outside of Portland for police work.

"Yeah, the parents of the victim specifically wanted us to investigate it. They knew who I was."

"Seems like everyone knows about you being a Grimm." she replied while tending to Diana and Kelly's dinner.

"Guess so. Hey Diana, how are you doing with your homework?" he asked the patiently hungry girl sitting at the dinner table.

"Do you even need to ask, Nick? You know I do it right as they give it to me, right?" she replied in monotone, tilting her head.

"Yes, I know, but how are your grades?" he retorted.

"The teacher's stingy. She says she'll give me my grade Friday when fall break starts."

"I'm sure she's doing just fine, right, Diana?" Adalind butted in, putting a plate of mashed potatoes and a chicken breast for Diana while Kelly received a hearty helping of spinach mush.

"Yup! I should have an A+ in every subject." Diana grinned.

"Well that's good." Nick replied patting her on the back.

"So where are you going? I heard you and mommy talking about how you'll be gone."

"Oh, I'll be going to Arcadia Bay, it isn't far so you won't have to worry about me too much I'd hope."

"I'm not worried about you, I'm worried about the girl." she stated, taking in a spoonful of potatoes.

"Well, from what I know, she's fine, we just need to find out who bullied-"

"No, I'm worried about the other one." Diana interrupted. She had always had a peculiar sixth sense, but it felt extra alarming this time around.

"Honey, I think you shouldn't get to wrapped up in Nick's job, after all, he is a police detective and a Grimm, now eat your chicken before it gets too cold."

"Yes mommy." she said, taking a fork and knife to the freshly cooked meat. Nick motioned for Adiland to follow him to the other end of the kitchen for a more discreet chat.

"That was weird." Nick stated, grabbing a plate to clean rinse.

"Yeah, I mean I know she can sense things, but that seemed a little beyond even her level of 'normal'. Who is this 'other girl' she mentioned."

"Well, the only other girl we know of right now is Maxine Caulfield. She is responsible for saving the girl who tried to jump off her school building. Maybe the guy she ratted out for drugging her friend might go after her which seems likely."

Yeah, you better get on that then. If Diana is sensing something though, I think you need to look into it a little more than that." just as Adalind finished her sentence, the loft elevator activated, eventually the gate opened to reveal Hank and Monroe. It was time for them to go.

* * *

Nick decided to leave the SUV home for Adalind to use while they took one of the detective cars instead. They figured it would be more appropriate to bring a work vehicle to an investigation. Adalind gave Nick a kiss goodbye before he stepped into the car. As they pulled out they waved goodbye to each other as the garage door lowered.

"So what's this family you got like? They blutbad too?" Hank asks Monroe.

"You'd be right. Thing is, I haven't seen them in like… seven years. Not to mention I have no idea what they'd think of me being friend's with Nick." Monroe takes one last sip of his beer before putting it away. Nick, after shifting into drive pulled the car out into the main road.

"You think they're even still there?" Hank asks.

"I don't think Bill would leave Arcadia. He's a creature of habit and his wife is dedicated to her diner like no other."

"They got any kids." Nick asks while starting the car.

"One, last I checked. My niece, Chloe. She's probably in college by now no doubt. Brilliant kid."

"You think so?" Hank asks.

"I'd sure hope so. Even if she isn't, she's still my captain Chloe." Nick just looks into the mirror and gives Monroe a reassuring smile.

"So... have you guys figured out a place where we'll be staying? Wherever it is I'm calling my own room."

"Don't know, Monroe. Hank, you mind looking up hotels in Arcadia Bay."

"Sure. I think I've got an app for that." The three set off for Arcadia Bay to start their investigation.

* * *

Thunder roars and wind howls as rain pours from the sky. Max feels caught in a storm again. _Is this another vision?_ she wondered. Max examines her surroundings, everything was a blur, but she could tell that the floor beneath her was purely artificial. It had borders, and everything started coming into view as Max turns to look at her surroundings, to stop on one particular shape close to one of the edges. She tries to focus on what is in front of her, a silhouette. It was someone she recognized, in a scene all too familiar. It was-

"Kate!" She screams. Again, Kate stands at the edge of the roof of the girls' dormitories, tears and rain staining her cheeks as she looks back at Max, face full of dread.

"I'm sorry, Max. I… I can't live like this anymore. I'm in a nightmare and I can't wake up." She turns her gaze to the horizon and outstretches her arms to face the edge of the roof. _No I have to stop this!_ Max tries desperately to move, to bend time, to woge again, anything that could stop Kate, instead she felt paralyzed, unable to act.

"I wonder if there even is a god anymore… I guess I'll find out. Won't I?" Max finally finds the strength to free herself from her invisible bonds. She rushes forward in an attempt to grab her but it was too late. Kate tumbled forward, screams of fear and panic filled Max's ears.

She reaches the edge only to find Kate, broken against the ground three stories below. The body was surrounded by the faces of her peers who now look at Max in despise. Sobbing, Max fell to her knees and screamed.

"Kate!" Max yelled, jerking awake, stirring Kate's rabbit from her sleep. _Oh thank god. It was just a dream._ She buried her face in her hands, shaking, still recovering from the nightmare. _I'm so happy things didn't turn out that way. I couldn't live with myself if I let Kate die._

Max stood up to stretch, relieving the tension from sleeping on her desk. Drowsily she stumbled over to the cage to give the rabbit some food. She knelt down and grabbed some food from the bag to put into its dish. _Are you a hungry bunny? Here, nosh on this..._ The rabbit made its way to the dish and began happily chewing on the food Max left for her. Max extended her hand to pet the little bunny, calming the both of them.

"Mommy's coming back soon. I promise." Max smiled and closed the cage door to go check her phone. Chloe left two messages. 'I have something to show you meet me in front of campus' and just now 'get dat ass in gear NOW'. _I knew Chloe would be all over this… So I better get moving… Gotta check one last thing before I go though._ Max turns to her plant, which she dubbed 'Lisa' and looked in disappointment at the browning leaves. _Oh I'm sorry, Lisa… I save Kate but I drown my own plant_ …

Max gave one last farewell to her plant before focusing on her and Chloe's investigation. She exited the room only to find a dark hallway with someone sitting against the wall just outside her door. Strangely enough, it was the one and only _Victoria Chase… What is she doing sitting outside of my dorm and is that-?_

"Victoria, what are you doing here? And are you drinking?" Max asks pointing to the flask Victoria is clutching between her hands.

"Surprised you aren't drinking… y'know… after today." Her words were slightly slurred, but carried sincerity and truth to them.

"You're right, Victoria. Today was rough on all of us." Max sat down just opposite of her. _I'll chat with her for a couple minutes. Won't hurt… Right?_

"Max…" She looks up from the floor for a moment to lock eyes with Max. There was something there, something that seemed new, yet at the same time, it reminded her of their scuffle in the bathroom.

"I'm… I'm fucking shorry for everything I did to you… and to Katie. I f-feel like…" She paused and drooped her head again. Max could see her transform again. _Fuchsbau… I think._

"Like shit?" Max finished for her, prompting Victoria to look up again. _I wonder if she even realizes she's woged?_

"Thanks, Max."

"Hey, do you even realize you're woged right now Victoria."

"It's kay… I don't think it is a… um…" The woge faded along with Victoria's train of thought. _Why did she woge for seemingly no reason? I have to think about it or use my powers to do it? Is there more to it than I thought?_

"What is it Victoria?"

"Oh. I don't think it's a fu… full woge. Sometimes, like… when you're really sad… it just happens." Victoria squints at Max, waiting for her response.

"Oh. Really? You can woge from being sad? How do you not get seen?"

"Figures that the hipster barely knows a damn thing about woge."

"Well can you teach me about it? If you're even cognitive enough to do it."

"Thing is, Max. There are two woges... One people can see, and one people can't… the one people can is a… full woge. The offer, only wesen, like us can." Victoria attempts to take another drink from the flask only to have Max take it away.

"You don't need anymore."

"Fair enough. Any other dumb questions?"

"What about Grimm?"

"They can see us… when people can't. Just like wesen."

"Have you ever met one? I've heard stuff about them… but I don't really understand." When Max asked, Victoria simply shook her head.

"Well, do you at least know anything else about them?"

"Only that. They see wesen, but aren't... Oh, and they like cutting off our heads."

"Yikes!" Max said. She read about it before, even hearing about them again from Chloe, but it still sounded scary to hear it brought up again. Victoria curled up some more, zoning out completely. _Well, this conversation isn't going any further right now and I'm sure Chloe's pissed. I'll rewind a bit and not ask. I think I got everything I could out of drunk Victoria._ Max held out her hand and time spun backwards briefly, stopping before Victoria's drunk, emotional meltdown.

"I'm… I'm fucking shorry for everything I did to you… and to Katie. I f-feel like…" _Just like before._ Victoria was woged again, but this time, Max didn't even bother asking about it.

"Like shit?" Max said again.

"Thanks, Max."

"I forgive you, Victoria… But, it's Kate that's the one you need to say sorry too… And stay away from that fucking flask." Max takes the flask from Victoria again. Her woge fades and she furrows her brows at Max, though she did not seem all that angry.

"I've got to go, Tori. Good talk." Max walks away throwing the flask drinking end down into a garbage can before heading out the door, skipping Dana's open room.

"T… Tori?" Victoria says under her breath, burying her face in her knees.

Max makes her way to the courtyard at the front of her dormitory, stopping in the middle of the courtyard, finding herself examining the area around her. Fireflies dance around the lamp posts and squirrels feed on left behind snacks. She looks up to the moon hovering above. Her eyes later drifted to the rooftop. She was reminded of what happened earlier, about how Kate nearly jumped off of the ledge. _I'm going to find out the truth… For you, Kate._ Max continued to gaze off into the distance, finding herself a place to sit and contemplate under the moonlight. _These powers. I wonder how I got them. Was I always a hexenbiest? If so, how come my parents never told me about it? Was I... blessed or something? Cursed sounds more like it… Either way, I feel kind of invincible now. It's so weird._

Max sees a figure near another building. Upon squinting, she could see that it was Principal Wells, trying to get into the building, looking and sounding even more drunk than Victoria was. _Principal Wells, are you serious? I'm toast if he sees me._

"Ah fuck it, I'm sitting my ass down. Nobody can expel me... Not yet anyway." Wells sat down at the steps preceding the door to the building, stumbling into place. Max went near the bushes, attempting to sneak by, relying on the darkness to cover her. It wasn't enough however, as Wells managed to spot her.

"Miss Caulfield, you have to be stealthier than that." _Shit_. Reluctantly, Max walked over to him. "You're not supposed to be outside your dormitory at this hour. You know that." Wells continued.

"I'm sorry, Principal Wells… I'm still tense after I thought Kate was going to jump today… I just needed some air and space to walk-"

"No, no explanations. Seeing Kate come up on that roof… then seeing her come down with you. You saved her ass. Pff, maybe saved Blackwell. Now don't get cocky. Go on back inside. You earned… good dreams." Max shifted away from Wells slightly. She could smell the whisky three feet away, so she felt it best to put some distance between them. Of course, like nearly every encounter since the morning before, she saw yet another woge happen. Ripples rolled across Wells' skin, growing a short coat of hair, morphing his nose to be wider and more bull-like, and long, curved horns peeked out of his head. It was the most distinct woge she had seen yet. _Christ, that's fucking scary. Should I even ask?_

Before Max could even take another second to think, he turned his head towards her and noticed her wide-eyed expression. Even drunk, he understood what was going on and shot the first inquiry.

"You're no Grimm, but I can tell when a one of my wesen students sees me too miss Caulfield." His woge retracted, horns and all, but his stern look remained.

"Sorry for staring. I haven't seen that before." she mumbled.

"I had no idea you were wesen too… I thought you were human. After all, your parents never mentioned anything about it to me." Max stood silent, wondering what to even say. _Wait, so if my parents knew I was a hexenbiest, why didn't they mention it to him… or… did they even know at all._

"No staring like a deer in the headlights, come on, you can talk to me." he asked.

"I'm uh…" _I know he's trying to be friendly but I just don't know about Wells giving me life advice on being wesen. Still, he is an adult after all._ Max composed herself and continued "I'm a hexenbiest. I… sorta found out about it two days ago. I'm still figuring stuff out." Max fidgeted with her jacket, wondering what to add.

"A late bloomer I see. I was the same way. Had my first Woge at 17. Freaked me the hell out... Well, since you're a hexenbiest, feel free to ask Mrs. Grant about alchemy. I'm sure she can put that hexenbiest talent of yours to good use." Wells said, offering sincere advice..

"Thanks Principal Wells, I'll consider it but if my chemistry grade is any indication... I think I'll pass."

"Please, do work on that. Now go back to your dormitory before I call David to escort you." _Ugh, anything but him._ Max nodded and stepped away. She held her hand out and rewound back to the point when Wells was trying to force his way into the door. This time being sure to get by while his back was turned. _Max the ninja strikes again!_ She made her way to the gate and left to the front of the campus.

Max tried scouting for Chloe, seeing as this was where they were supposed to meet. It was simply crickets as she looked in every direction conceivable. Walking forward some more she heard a rustling behind her turning around to find-

"BOO-YA-" Max woged and hissed as a response to being jumped by a woged Chloe Price, eyes red and snarling a little before reversing her woge. Max gripped her jacket where her heart was, feeling it beat rapidly from the adrenaline before taking a deep breath and following Chloe's de-woge.

"Get it, BOO-yah? Like I'm a scary punk ghost…" Chloe said, smiling, proud of her prank-pun combo.

"More like a scary punk asshole! Christ Chloe, I didn't exactly have the greatest day trying to keep my friend from jumping off the roof. And besides, I could have seriously messed you up back there so I don't think I need you to prank me tonight, 'kay?" Max said sternly, trying to get Chloe to comprehend the gravity of the situation.

"Sorry, but you absolutely balls to the walls did save your friend!"

"Yeah… but I almost lost her too. My power over time was completely shot and my head felt like it was being crushed… but somehow I pulled a miracle out of my ass with one of my other wonky powers I can't even explain." Max looked to her hand, studying it, attempting to understand. _What went wrong… more importantly, what went right?_

"Look, Kate is alive because of you. Don't beat yourself up. You're a total rock star, Max. And your badass powers are going to save us all. We just need to connect the players." Chloe said, trying to be considerate, while attempting to move things forward.

"And find out who almost killed Kate. We have to stop this from happening to anybody else."

"Oh yeah, and somehow stop that tornado from wiping out Arcadia Bay… right?" Chloe continued, referring to Max's visions.

"I hope so, Chloe, but how? Snow and eclipse are bad omens."

"This whole town is a bad omen. And notice that Blackwell seems to be ground zero."

"Chloe, I just feel weird about some of my decisions… Especially after I just got Nathan Expelled." Max fidgeted with her jacket while speaking. _It has only been two days since I got my powers and already I've changed so much… I don't know how I feel about this._

"Dude, do not even torture yourself like that. Let's focus on looking for clues, okay?" _Reassuring as ever Chloe._

"Right, for one thing, there's too much coincidence between the people around Kate and Rachel."

"Like step-prick and Nathan Prescott?" Chloe added.

"Of course, they're both sociopaths."

"More like psychopaths. The Blackwell security officer even hits his own step daughter..." Chloe stated, referring the time David hit her on Monday while Max hid in the closet.

"And even though I don't know her, I feel like Rachel is guiding us to the truth."

"Fuck the truth, I just wanna find my friend right now." Chloe's eyes blazed red for a brief moment. "It scares me to think where she could be… Do you think she's…" Chloe trails off, leaving the air feeling stiff as she lets her imagination run.

"Alive? I have to think that, Chloe. Her spirit is so powerful here…"

"You would know, being a hexenbiest and all. Max, we have to find Rachel soon. We have to…"

"I promise you we will. Like you said, it's time to start the search for clues. Now tell me, what's your secret?"

"Drum roll please…" Chloe reached into her pocket, grinning ear to ear, pulling out a set of keys, dangling them proudly in front of Max. "I present the spare keys to Blackwell. Thank you, step-prick"

"You are such a boss, Chloe. I just don't want you to get into any more trouble."

"Look at all the trouble dropping in Arcadia Bay. At this point, who gives a fuck anymore? We're in it to win it, Max. Lead the way." Chloe patted Max's back as a gesture to get her moving along. Max responded in kind as they set off.

"I'm so glad you're my partner in crime." Max remarked.

"As long as you're my partner in time." Chloe responded in kind, giving Max a wink.

"Insert groan here…"

* * *

Max and Chloe proceed to venture into the Blackwell building. Surprisingly no one was present aside from Jefferson whom they had a close call with. They were able to sneak in and enter the main office. Between a combination of a phone-a-friend bomb making tutorial and them actually using it to get in, they break into Principal Well's office, only to trigger the alarm. Max fixes everything by going into the principal's office and dilating time back to before they commit jihad on a door, harmlessly unlocking it from the other side, surprising Chloe yet again with her magic.

The two look for clues in the principal's office, sifting through student files, digging up Kate, Rachel and Nathan's files. Max even took a peek at several other students' documents, and of course at her own and Chloe's files. Chloe even dug through Well's computer and found several files tied to Nathan.

"Max, you better come check out these files..." Chloe's voice was uneasy, after taking a glance at the screen, Max could see why. "Nathan accuses Rachel of bringing drugs on campus? And my step-troll went along with it because he thinks Rachel was a bad influence on me." she leans onto the desk to let Max get a better look at the files. "Assholes" she expresses.

"If David is teaming up with Nathan Prescott… That's a bad sign."

"Nathan Prescott the Third." Oooh, he's so money." she groans. "And you know the Prescotts dropped major bank to bury Nathan's real file." Chloe alt-tabs to another window with a folder ripe with dirt on Nathan. "Look, it reads like a rap sheet. Bad grades, teacher complaints, secret probation… but I was expelled?" Chloe huffs.

"The Prescotts always get their money's worth…" Max expressed, before noticing something on-screen that caught her attention. "Check out that note. Open it." she asked. Chloe opens the file to see what it was about. _Holy shit._ Max deciphered the almost illegible scribbles. If it weren't for the sheer amount of repetition, it would have been impossible to decipher.

"That's just some crazy drawing." Chloe responds.

"It's not a drawing… look, 'Rachel in the dark room… Rachel in the dark room…' Over and over. That's it." Looking back at Chloe, her eyes were glowing a steady red. She was pissed, so much so that if Nathan were there, he would tear his limbs off in a heartbeat, for this reason and the laundry list of others.

"That's… fucked up." she snarled. "What does this even mean? Nathan is truly psychotic… I know he has something to do with Rachel missing." Max continued to scroll through, afraid whatever else she might find would cause Chloe to go nuclear. Another weird file comes up and she reads it out to Chloe.

"Whoa, listen to this, 'David M. always asks what's going on in my head… David M. always helps me follow those he follows...' Pretty cryptic." Chloe's eyes fade to normal, but Max can still see that she's fuming with rage.

"No, it sounds like they've formed some sort of weird team- 'The Super He-Bros.'"

"Jesus, David was stalking Kate, hassling me, and now we know he was all over Rachel too…" Chloe got a determined look on her face, after hearing what Max had to say.

"Oh, we are so going into his garage files…" but her tone quickly shifted "Plus I'm getting a little paranoid in here. We got our info, let's bail. But maybe we shouldn't leave without a gift."

"No, you are not taking the cozy char." Max assumed.

"Max, do your powers include mind-reading? Or did you just rewind because I tried to steal the chair? Shit, I'm confused."

"It's the powers of best friendship. I know how you roll…" Max smiled. Chloe before getting up dug through one last drawer, immediately invested in what she found.

"Hullo, what have we here?" In Chloe's hands was an envelope containing a large sum of cash labeled 'handicapped fund'.

"Wowser, that's a lot for the 'handicapped fund'." Max stated. Chloe turns to her friend, eyes wide with a joyous expression on her face.

"Dude, there's five thousand dollars here. I could pay frank back tonight! This will chill him out after our showdown yesterday." Max looked on with disapproval. _Man, I want Chloe to be debt free, especially from that creep from the junkyard._ Chloe looked back to the money, and back to Max, expression flat.

"Are you going to make a big issue out of this? Or just rewind and take the greenbacks for yourself? I hope you do that instead of lecturing me." _Shit… if I let her take the money, she'll have her debts paid, but then the cops will be looking for us no doubt. On the other hand if we leave it, she's gonna be pissed at me, and Frank will still be after her._

"Well Max, you done talking the the devil and angel on your shoulders yet?"

"I'm sorry, but do you really want to take money from the handicapped fund? I know you need to pay Frank back, but… you have me to protect you, right?" Max quickly expresses her stance, emphasizing her ability to keep Chloe safe, hoping she'll comply with not stealing the money. Chloe opens the drawer again and reluctantly shoves the money back into it."

"I guess Moral Max is right again. You do realize that puts both of us at risk, right?"

"Yeah, and so does taking it."

"Yeah, yeah, let's get the hell out of this office morgue." Chloe walks out with a huff. Max takes care to eliminate traces their digging by shutting down the computer. _Wells is drunk enough not to remember if he left his PC on, right?_ Max also took only the files she needed, hoping no one would notice before meeting Chloe outside.

Using David's keys, the two sneak into the swimming pool for some 'splish splash', and later narrowly avoided escape since the guards came looking for intruders. After a quick getaway in Chloe's rusty truck and headed home to Chloe's house to catch a good night's sleep.

* * *

Moonlight shone through the evergreen trees as Nick and his crew drove along the main road. Just over the hill, a small number of lights flickered in the distance, along with the revolving beam of the lighthouse just atop the cliffs by the bay. Monroe did his best to stretch his limbs in the back of the car, then going back to look out of the window to look upon Arcadia Bay.

"Man, it's been a long time since I was last here. Wish I stuck around when I was." Monroe stated, eyeing the lighthouse in the distance. "It's just so calm here, you know?"

Nick kept his eyes on the road, trying not to let the exhaustion get to him. Hank on the other hand had long since dozed off, lying peacefully against the window of the passenger side.

"Hey Nick, you think you can turn on some music. I'm a little bored back here and I think we're close enough to get some reception now."

"Sure, Monroe" Nick flicked on the radio, having it take five seconds for the radio initialize and find a station.

"-tening to K.95.5 in the evening, up next we've got Obstacles, by the wonderful artist Syd Matters." the voice of a radio host exclaimed, followed by the smooth plucking of guitar strings. The music was soft, and filled the car without being overbearing. After about twenty seconds, the lyrics kicked in to accompany the instrumental.

"Let's say sunshine for everyone- But as far as I can remember- We've been migratory animals- Living under changing weather~" slow and droning, yet emotional vocals fill their ears, fitting nicely with the smooth instrumental.

"Hmn, sounds nice." Nick stated.

"Someday, we will foresee obstacles- Through the blizzard, through the blizzard- Today we will sell our uniform-Live together, live together~"

"Yeah, I agree. Very mellow. Fits this town to a 'T'" Monroe replied, rocking slightly to the tune of the song.

"Someday, we will foresee obstacles- Through the blizzard, through the blizzard- Today we will sell our uniform-Live together, live together~" more instruments picked up, backing the guitar, bringing with them a calmer atmosphere.

"We played hide and seek in waterfalls-We were younger, we were younger-We played hide and seek in waterfalls-We were younger, we were younger~" The voice echoed more, and these verses repeat some thirty seconds more.

"Someday, we will foresee obstacles- Through the blizzard, through the blizzard~" The lyrics end, and the instruments fade. Monroe then realized that they were already in the town, passing by a few houses.

"Looks like we're here. Now just to find a place to rest our eyes." Monroe declared, stretching again. Nick nudges Hank awake.

"Oh, wha-" Hank rubs his eyes.

"Hey, need you to help us find the place you mentioned."

"Yeah yeah, should be right here in my phone." Hank squinted, turning the phone back on since mid trip. "Um, says here we take a right in half a mile."

"Looks like that's it then." Nick said, keeping his attention to the road. He approach the turn, flicking on the blinker and making a right by the 'Hotel Country' sign just by the curb. He weaves carefully around the tight turn into the small parking lot and swiftly in the closest space to the building.

"Jeez, how long was that? Like what, three hours?" Monroe asked.

"Just two and a half." Hank replied. Monroe didn't even respond, just left the car to grab his bag from the trunk. The other two followed suit and entered the building.

Sitting behind a desk, flicking through a smartphone was a staff member. Young, probably a student at Blackwell Academy, Nick thought. Hank rung the bell to get her attention.

"Oh. Shit. Didn't see you guys." she closed her phone and sat it on the counter to greet her guests.

"We'd like two rooms please." Nick said. The girl knelt under the desk, looking for her reference sheet for pricing before standing back up.

"Alright guys, that will be, um-" she leans over and takes another glance at the sheet again. "One-hundred-eighty-two and seventy-five cents." Nick puts his work credit card on the counter and the receptionist takes it. She takes a moment to look at it.

"Police? From Portland? What brings you to this shit-hole?" Hank chuckles at the girl's lack of manners.

"Oh, just doing our job." Hank answered, still smiling.

"What's it about?"

"Confidential." Nick replied, dismissing the question.

"Boring." she sighs. "Well alright officers, you get rooms 103 and 104. They'll be just out that door and to your left. Please only arrest the other guests if you have to." she handed Nick two sets of keys and sits back down in the chair.

"Only if they give us a reason." Hank said, turning to walk out to the door with the others. They all drag their feet as they walk to their rooms, lazily hauling their luggage with them.

"Be sure you check the dressers, I don't want another alpe encounter like last time you had me sleep in a hotel." Monroe says, calling back to the time when he was used as bait to lure out an alpe, a wesen who feeds on sleep.

"Don't worry, I think the only thing we'll have to worry about is bed bugs." Nick replies, handing Monroe his key to 104.

"Not sure if that's an upgrade or not, but I'll take over an alpe any night." Monroe yawns, trying not to let it last too long "Catch you guys in the morning." he states drowsily.

Nick and Hank enter 103 and take their separate beds. Nick can overhear Monroe in the other room calling Rosalee, telling her that they made it safe. He opened his phone to do the same, opening his contacts and calling Adalind. It rang for a short while before she picked up.

"Hey, Nick…" she said, clearly having just woken up.

"Hey, Adalind, just wanted to let you know we got here safe."

"Well that's good. You looked pretty tired when you left."

"Yeah. It was a nice drive. This town is small though. I look forward to having breakfast at the diner Monroe mentioned."

"Ooh, sounds good. Well I wish you guys luck on your investigation, but I need to take Diana to school in the morning."

"Alright, I need some sleep too."

"Love you, Nick."

"Love you, too."

The phone hangs up and Nick puts it on the dresser along with the charger so it did not die while he was sleeping. They needed it for an alarm anyhow. Hank had already crawled into the other bed and was softly snoring, so Nick figured he should do the same. He got into bed and quickly drifted asleep, wondering what the next few days will bring.


End file.
